Eternal Darkness
by Completely Unstable
Summary: What's my name? Oh, I remember. It's Max. I seem to be forgetting a lot lately. The only memories that remain are the ones I've spent curled up in this cold, light-less cell. The people just took me, treated me like a lab rat, then threw me right in. I'm not sure how much more I can take this. All I want to do is see sweet sunlight, just one more time. Chapter 18 is up!
1. Prologue

_****_**Disclaimer: I don't even own a fulfilling life.**

_Prologue_

It was cold. That's all I could think about. I pulled my knees up to my chest, trying to gather up any warmth left in my body. I could feel my matted and tangled hair get in the way of my face. I didn't bother moving it, it was too dark to see in here anyway. Once again, I tried recalling anything I could before I was dumped in this hellhole, but there wasn't much to remember. My memories withered away as soon as the damnable men snatched me away from everything I had including my family and friends, changed my DNA, then threw me in this concrete box to rot, only getting occasional outings when the wanted to use me as a test subject, even then they blindfolded me. And what did they do to me, you ask?

They gave me wings.

I know what you're thinking. "Oh, wings! That sounds awesome, getting to fly everywhere!" Well, I suppose it would, but they never let me see the sky. For god's sake, I haven't seen light in ages. Every time they drag me out to poke and prod me, I curse the scratchy blindfold. I've forgotten what I look like, hell, I've forgotten what anything looks like! I tried tracking the days I've been here, but I lost track at what I think was day 43.

So just for laughs, lets start over. From now on, I'm back on day 1. This time, I won't forget. I'll memorize every single detail of every single day I've been trapped.

Trapped in the eternal darkness.

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**I just wanted to do the prologue before starting the first chapter. I'll be starting it as soon as I submit this. Stay insane, my friends.**

**-Completely Unstable**


	2. The Voice

**Day 1**

I was woken up by scratchy fabric being wrapped around my face by rough hands. Instantly, I tried to struggle, but multiple arms restrained me, a few grabbing my legs and more clutching my protesting wings. Out of exhaustion, I went limp as the blindfold was secured on my head and my limbs were tightly bound. My body was set down and strapped to a familiar table with paper thin sheets being me only comfort. They grabbed both wings, stretching them out in there (what felt like) 14 feet glory, strapping those, too. I relaxed a bit, enjoying the tiny warmth that whatever bright light that they had over me offered.

Until the pricks sunk into my skin.

I winced as multiple needles were stuck into my arms and legs, occasionally crying out with my hoarse, underused voice. I could smell all of the heavy chemicals that they were injecting into my body.

"Keep the specimen from moving!" one voice demanded cruelly.

"I am not your specimen!" I rasped. "My name is Maximum Ride! I'm human, too, you know!" The harsh voice chuckled.

"Not entirely, anymore." I could feel the blindfold wetting from my salty, angry tears.

What in the world did I do to deserve this? I began counting each injection. After 12 more, they trapped me back into my darkened hell. I wrapped my sore arms around my knees and cried, shrieking my agony. I could hear the faint chuckling of my torturers outside of the thick metal doors. I enveloped my body in my wings, forming a protective cocoon as I fell into sleep ... dark, dreamless sleep.

**Day 2**

I heard the voices getting closer to my prison. I shivered uncontrollably. They _never _tested me two days in a row, why start now? I listened closer, straining to hear. I recognized these voices time and time again, each sharp from the pure evil. If evil was a tone, they nailed it. But I heard something different this time. One voice, one that seemed distinct among the flurries of chatter sound velvety smooth, almost comforting to my agonized soul.

I shuffled over to the door, pressing my head against it, letting myself drift off to the sound of my only savior in this horrible, horrible prison.

**Day 3**

I cautiously opened my eyes, feeling around the shadows. My hand felt something squishy and wet. I smiled sadly. They had finally given me food, or whatever this muck could be classified as. I greedily shuffled it into my mouth with my bare hands, despite my stomach's protesting.

The food slowly diminished to my despair, as I rapidly searched for more. My hand hit something soft, but sold. I carefully picked it up a brought it up to my nose, sniffing it for any signs of drug sabotage. It smelled good. I inhaled deeply, then reluctantly took a nibble off of it. I was surprised to find out it was a slice of bread. I took my time eating it, savoring each bite. When it was gone, I began to think.

They never gave me bread. Much less anything that seemed slightly edible. What possibly could have changed?

**Day 4**

I shot up, feeling the ground desperately. Nope. No food. I longed for another slice of whatever kind of bread that was. I sighed, leaning back against the icy wall. I waited for the scratchy blindfold to be forced upon me again ... but it never came.

**Day 5**

I was beginning to get scared. They usually didn't wait this long to start the pricking again. I should've been dragged out of here on day three, that's usually the system. One day of testing, one day to heal. And I usually healed exceptionally fast, which was my advantage and my downfall. I huddled up in the corner, stroking my soft feathers, waiting ...

**Day 6**

"Here's how it's done!" A harsh voice cut through my sleep as the familiar fabric was knotted around my eyes. "You grab it's wings so it can't flap them. Now you try."

"Okay." My attention was given full-on when the soft spoken voice I had heard was now coming from what seemed like inches away. My limbs were bound and hands grasped my wings at their base. But it was different this time. Instead of brute force, this person's hands were gentler on me, now ripping out a single feather. Naturally, I struggled.

"Shhhh, calm down" the smooth voice cooed into my ear from behind, releasing one finger of his grip to stroke my soft down. I relaxed in a trance, his voice soothing me like a lullaby. I was carried over to the table and restrained, the smooth voice making quiet and nice shushing sounds to keep me calm. I braced myself for the needles. There was a light tap on my forearm, and the strong pinch of a needle greeted me in that same spot. I was confused at this action. Another tap hit my calf and another injection followed. Was whoever was testing me _warning _me of where I was getting a shot?

After almost two dozen taps and pricks, a whisper warmed my ear.

"This is the last one, I promise." said the silky voice. A tap placed itself on my thigh and a needle was inserted, the gentle hands unstrapping and hoisting me upwards, bridal-style. I felt myself being placed on the hard and cold floor of my cell, my restraints being removed, then the blindfold was beginning to me unwound. They usually shut the door before they did this, so I wouldn't see they light. Not that I'm complaining, but what is this new guy _doing_?

The blindfold fell, harsh and burning white seeping through the tiny crack of the slightly opened door. I gasped at the sight of it, and a warm hand clamped over my mouth, silencing me. A silhouette stood in front of me, tall and thin in the crisp white lab coat he wore.

"I need you to be quiet." the figure whispered with the smooth voice I had begun to love so much. Was this really the person who's speaking relaxed my nerves so much? I complied and the hand dropped. Blinking hard, my eyes began to blur in and out, adjusting. I studied the clearer figure.

This scientist looked young, his head with tousled, raven black hair. His skin looked olive-tone in the dim light and his eyes were never-ending voids that had a certain softness to them when they met mine. I looked at him with confusion, holding back my dire questions.

"I won't let you live like this much longer." he told me, running his fingers through the snarls in my dirty hair. "Just bare with me, please." I gave the most minuscule nod, his lips curling up into a crooked smile. He reluctantly turned away, slowly creaking the door shut. Just as it was almost sealed, he stuck his head back in.

"And I hope you liked the bread."

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**DRAMAAAAAAAA BOMB. Lol. I hope you like it so far. So many mysteries o.O Anyway, I really like how the plot is forming so far, so this might be a good one. Reviews please~! Stay insane, my friends.**

-**Completely Unstable**


	3. My Savior

**Day 6 (cont.)**

I sat there, staring at what I think was where the door was, thinking. Who was this guy? And why was he helping a freak like me?

I don't know why, but seeing the kind face of another human being cause some of my memories to resurface. I cried silent tears of joy as I began remembering my little innocent sister, Angel. She had hair that caused the sun itself to hang it's head in shame, her golden curls forming their own little halo atop her head. I remembered her cute, cobalt Bambi eyes she used to her own advantage. I cried the hardest ... when I remembered the day I was taken.

It had been an average day, me rushing to shove breakfast in my face before the bus came while my other dark-haired sister, Ella, yelled after me. Precious little Angel was sitting at the kitchen counter, looking as if she had only woken up a second ago. She yawned, her head slumped over her cereal bowl.

"C'mon Ange! You're bus will be here any minute!" I said, taking my role as big sister since mother was already at work. Angel nodded tiredly, getting up and slipping her cute little pink bookbag on her sagging shoulders. I ran my fingers through her soft curls, adjusting the cute little bow mom must have tied into her hair before she departed. I grabbed her extended hand, holding it as we walked out of the house together. We waited patiently for her yellow bus to pull up. I gave her a tight hug, watching her skip on with the rest of her friends. I waved as the bus pulled away.

Ella and I waited patiently. Out of boredom, I turned to talk to her, but she wasn't there. Looking down, I found Ella sprawled out on the ground, unconscious.

"Ella!" I shrieked, kneeling down next to her. Brushing her dark hair aside, I found a dart protruding out of her neck. Ever so gently, I yanked it out. Who in the hell tranqued my sister?! I was about to cry for help, when a rag was forcefully smushed against my nose and mouth. Trying to breath in a panic, my vision turned foggy, and that was when I blacked out, only to wake up to nothingness.

I sniffled away the last of my tears, leaning my face against one of my soft wings. These cursed things had become one of my few comforts. I crawled over to the solid door, pressing my ear against its freezing surface. I listened to the exchanged conversations.

"Get the specimen prepped for tomorrow, new guy." one voice said, harsh and all too familiar. "Make sure it gets fed plenty. We can't test these new formulas with it on an empty stomach."

"Got it." I sighed dreamily as I hear the voice I adored. Those two, single-toned words seemed like heaven. I crawled into the corner and feigned sleep, waiting.

It was an hour later when I heard the door screech open slowly, and the satisfying thud of a plastic tray being slapped down caused me to stir a bit.

"Eat up." my mouth curved into a smile when the lovely voice whispered to me. "I promise everything will be better after tomorrow." I waited until the door slammed shut until I patted the ground, my hands slapping down directly into the almost-edible mush. I ate that before bothering to look for more. After finishing every bit, I reached again to find something with a crumby texture. I sniffed it like always, then put it into my mouth. I moaned when I tasted the savory flavor of peanut-butter toast on my tongue. I restricted myself from eating too fast, but found the sticky filling in my mouth irritating. My hand found a small plastic bottle and I took a swig of it, the creamy liquid washing my mouth clean. This was milk! It tasted so great!

I curled up and fell asleep satisfied, and with a full belly and a stupid smile plastered on my face.

**Day 7**

The blindfold attacked my face, jolting me awake. The gentle hands of my savior restrained my limbs and wing with force and care at the same time. Before I knew it, I was spread out on the table, strapped in all its glory. A relaxed as a tap hit me leg, followed by a pinch. This action repeated itself about 4 more times when warm breath tingled against my ear.

"This one isn't going to feel good. Brace yourself." it cooed. I tightened my face in anticipation, a tap hitting my arm. The needle hurt like no other greeted me, causing my to cry out as my teeth sunk into my lip. It lingered there for what seemed like hours, before disappearing and forming a good-sized welt in that area. I began to whimper in fear as my body began tingling, becoming numb. I tried pulling at the rough straps that held me down.

"Don't fight it, it'll all be over soon." I heard through my fogging state of mind. I let the strange feeling take over, loosing all ability to move I had left. I was startled by a sharp, continuous beep right next to my ear. I had forgotten they hooked me up to a heart monitor. Wait a second ...

Holy shit, my heart stopped!

I wanted to thrash in fear, but my body was a statue. I couldn't even move my eyelids under the blindfold. I sure as hell didn't feel dead, so why was a panic erupting around me?

"What the- its heart isn't beating!" one voice cried out.

"The chemical must've been toxic!" said another. "It's dead!"

"Looks like we'll need another subject after all." my savior feigned disappointment. I could hear it in his voice.

"Dispose of it. Now. We don't need it's decay stinking the place up."

"Yessir." the straps around me were gone now, along with the blindfold. My eyes were glued closed my savior picked me up fireman style, carrying me for what seemed like ages. My limp body melded itself along his shoulder, rocking gently with each step. All of the sudden, a blast of crisp air hit me, and he broke into a speedwalk, trying to be careful of me. I was laid down on a rough, carpeted surface. A heard a loud thud, followed by a rumble, and I felt as if I was moving. My consciousness slipped away from me, and I dreamlessly slept, wondering what was going on.

**Day ... I'm not sure anymore.**

I woke up with my eyes still shut. Tired, I groaned and shifted.

Wait.

I _shifted._

I bolted upward, my eyes flying open. I cried out as unfiltered sunlight blinded me, harsh and cruel.

"Are you okay?" a concerned voice scared me. I took a moment to let my vision blur in and out against the unforgiving light. When it became clear enough, I studied my surroundings. I was sitting up in the cushy back seats of a small car, the black hair of my savior visible in the driver's seat. "Are you okay?" he asked again, giving me a brief look in the rear-view mirror. I tried my best not to gasp at his voice. It was even better than before.

"I ... I ... what's going on?" I asked raggedly. I couldn't comprehend a single thing that was going on. Wasn't I supposed to be _dead?_

"I busted you out. No thanks necessary." he told me. "I used a drug that slows your heart rate and breathing to an unreadable rate so they'd think you were dead." Tears began pricking my eyes. I was free? I looked out of the car window. We were driving on a desert road, the now beautiful sun beating down. I could see the beautiful landscape. The beautiful light. The beautiful everything. I began sobbing with joy, a startled look adorning my savior's face.

"T-thank you." I choked. "Who are you?"

"Call me Fang." he gave me the most memorizing crooked smile I've ever seen. I sat back, gratitude plastered across my face. I was free! I wouldn't live in darkness anymore. I wouldn't be anyone's lab rat. I could see the world yet again.

Reminded of one little detail, I stared down at my side, were my wing was poking out behind my back. I knew they were there, but I'd never seen them before. They resembled the patterns and colors of a hawk, glorious and bold. I stretched it out slightly, gasping at its size.

"They're beautiful, just so you know." Fang's compliment cut through my thoughts with a jolt. My cheeks heated up as his deep, onyx eyes were directed right at me through the mirror. He looked so clean and professional, his black hair glinting silver in the sunlight. I probably looked like something someone dragged out of the forest. One last happy tear dripped down my face.

"Thank you, Fang."


	4. Sweet Dreams

**Hey guise~ I have some apologies to my readers. I read over the last chapters and was severely disappointed in myself. You see, I'm a little bit *cough* *cough* dyslexic *cough* ...**

**Therefore, I make the most idiotic typos without even realizing it. So I'm sorry. Please bare with it! I'm trying to fix that little problem. TO THE STORY!**

I remember I had crawled up to the passenger seat with my savior, "Fang" to get a better view of the passing scenery. I could hear his faint snicker of amusement as I stumbled over the center console to get myself situated. Every time I saw a ragged desert ledge at a different angle, my mouth would hang open in awe and I would press my face against the window like an excited child.

"Would you like some fresh air?" Fang asked with the faintest laugh. I nodded rapidly. Man, this guy has no idea how much I've _wanted _this. He smiled and pressed a button on the door, causing the window to slide downward with a light hum. The warm air hit me in the face like a slap. But it was a good kind of slap, if that even existed. I inhaled deeply, enjoying the non-thick and freezing feel of the air. "You like it?" he asked me. I could practically _hear _the smirk in his voice.

"So much." I said, my voice rolling out easier, dispersing the hoarse tone it had adopted while confined in darkness **(A/N My god that might be the smartest sentence I've ever** **written). **It sounded almost as smooth as Fang's now.

"So," he said, drawing my attention from the landscapes. "Tell me about yourself. It'll be a long drive, so I'd like to hear more about you." Silence overtook me. What did I even know about myself?

"My name is Max. Short for Maximum." I managed to answer. "I had two sisters before I was taken. My mom was a vet and my dad was a ... scientist." I might as well have growled to word "scientist". It disgusted me now. What good has science been in my life? It sure as hell hasn't been the greater good.

"How long did they have you locked up?" he continued his own little interview with me.

"I ... I don't know." Fang raised an eyebrow at me, than sympathy clouded his eyes. He looked back at the road and clutched the steering wheel, his tan knuckles turning white. "I'm fine now. Now that you got me out of there." I reassured him, happy to see his death grip loosening a bit as he smiled to himself.

We drove in silence most of the way, me drifting in and out of sleep, waking up to see Fang's gaze quickly retreat from my face. After a while, the occasional run-down gas station or restaurant would fly by, the road becoming slightly more busy. Fang began yawning, and quickly pulled into the empty parking lot of a roadside motel.

"Pssst, Max!" I heard him whispering in my ear, slightly shaking my shoulder. I reluctantly opened my eyes to him leaning over me through the car door on my side. "I got a room for us to sleep in for the night. C'mon." He gently pulled me to my feet, shutting the door behind me. He led me to one of the small doors, unlocking it with an old key and letting it creak open. I saw a room with two small beds, a sink with a coffee machine and microwave near the back, and a door that led to what must be the bathroom. He saw me studying that door and caught my hint.

"You want to clean up?" he asked, supporting my weight. I gave a tired nod and he led me over to the bathroom, setting me down on the side of the tub. "If you need anything, just tell me." he said before shutting the door. I turned around and slowly turned on the tap, letting the showerhead squeak to life. I stood up groggily and began peeling off my filthy, tattered, paper thin clothes. I hadn't been able to change since that horrid day, and I was _filthy._ After I was out of all my clothing, I looked at myself in the stained mirror and audibly gasped.

The girl I stared at was a wreck. Her hair was matted and wild, almost stretching to her waist. Her arms were slightly purple under all of the filth, both from manhandling and so, so many injections on a regular basis. I nearly cried. This is what that good for nothing _science_ did to me. I turned around, stepping into the small shower and flinging the curtain closed. I stayed in there for a good hour, not letting a single piece of grime go unnoticed. I scrubbed myself with the motel toiletries, turning the water off and feeling cleaner than ever. I frowned as I realized something.

I had no clothes. Then I remembered what Fang said.

_"If you need anything, just tell me."_

I blushed at the thought of asking Fang for clothes to sleep in, but swallowed my pride, cracking open the door and letting some of the steam out.

"Hey, Fang!" I called. "Can I borrow some clothes?"

"Sure thing." I heard his reply and let out a breath I didn't know I was holding in the first place. I hid my naked body behind the door as a black shirt was dangled between the crack I had left. "Thanks." I said taking it a shutting the door back. I had no undergarments to wear, and I sure as hell knew Fang didn't have any I could borrow, so I settled for soaking the ones I currently had in the sink and scrubbing them with the motel soap, drying them with the tiny blow dryer. I slipped them back on along with Fang's shirt, which was big enough on me to go down to my knees.

I shyly opened the door and scurried to my bed before Fang could see me, covering myself up. He just gave me an odd look and walked over to the light switch, flicking it off. I whimpered as the lights diminished. That place had scarred me for life.

As soon as my cry became audible, Fang sat next to my trembling body on my bed, rubbing my back and making soothing shushing noises. My shaking reduced, and I felt his weight slowly disappear from the cushy mattress. Without thinking, I grabbed his sleeves and looked up at him with the eyes of a child who just had a nightmare.

But this nightmare, I had lived it.

I could feel his sympathy and concern as he gently pushed my damp bangs out of my face. After making warm circles right between my twitching wings, he laid down beside me, not stopping his motions. I drifted off next to his warmth, and dreams of flying in the clear blue, free sky greeted me. In my dream, he flew beside me with wings that looked like the purple-tinted midnight sky, his hand entangled in mine.

I couldn't remember the last time I had such a good dream.

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**omg HAIIII~! So I hope there wasn't as many typos in this chapter (hope in vain) if there are, I'm very sorry, but I can't really help it. My keyboard is stupid and so is my brain when it comes to using proper spelling and grammar. So yeah. I forgot to say my little sign-off last chapter, so count this one twice. Stay insane, my friends.**

**-Completely Unstable**


	5. Road Trip!

I woke up to soft light warming my now amazingly clean face. I sighed happily and tried to shift a bit in the small bed, but found myself restrained. I slowly opened my heavy eyes to see my savior, Fang, lying beside me with one arm hugging me close. I gave a slight giggle as I saw his peaceful face, obviously in heavy sleep, but began to panic as my situation began to surface in my mind. The nightshirt I was wearing had ridden all the way up to my waste while I was asleep, and the covers on the bed barely hung to the side of the bed, not shielding me one bit. My face flamed as I tried to gently lift his arm off of me, careful not to wake him.

Apparently, I wasn't careful enough.

His eyes lazily opened, widening when he saw the very little distance between him and my not-so-chaste-dressed body. Fang jumped up off the bed and turned his back to me, only after I caught a tiny glimpse of the tint of red forming on his cheeks. I sat up and pulled the shirt down, stretching the fabric just a smidge.

"G-good morning." he stammered, peeking to see if I was covered than turning around. I gave him a slight nod and stood there awkwardly. The air became so thick with the unnerving silence, that it was almost tangible.

"So," he finally said. "I realize that you don't have any clothes to wear at the moment, so I was thinking about stopping at a store on our way." I nodded quickly, still uncomfortable with my appearance. He smiled at me and walked over to the door, creaking it open. Making sure nobody else was outside, he gestured me to follow him. I scurried over to him, hesitating a bit to follow him out of the door. We ran to the car and he quickly opened the door for me, shutting me inside. He held up a finger to tell me to wait and went over to the office building next to the rooms, probably to check us out. He quickly walked back out, ducking into the driver's side. "You ready to go?" he asked. I nodded while tucking the loose shirt tight underneath my thighs.

Fang drove his seemingly straight-lined course until we began to enter a small suburban town with a bit of greenery here and there. He pulled the car into a parking lot with a small shopping complex and parked in a space near the end.

"Stay here, I'll grab you some stuff to wear." he said, getting out of the car and striding over to whatever department store. I waited patiently, hunch down whenever somebody got within fifty feet of the car. I sure as hell did not want anyone to see me like this, all bruised and wearing nothing but another guy's shirt. I could easily see the suggestion in that. Fang exited a store twenty minutes later, bags in hand. He ducked back into the car, setting the bags onto my lap.

"You can change when we get back on the road." he told me, already putting the car in reverse. My face heated.

_Right here in the fricking car?!_

Fang must have seen my expression, because he quickly said:

"I promise I won't look."

I nodded and began sorting through the bags. They mostly consisted of plain colored tees and a few pairs of jeans, and they were only a size or two too big. I gave out a relieved sigh and waited for us to get back on the road again, drifting off into a comforting sleep.

**Psh. Look at me. I'm serving a purpose as a time skip and you're sitting there alone.**

I woke up to a hand shaking my shoulder, and instinctively shielded my eyes from the sun, which was hanging pretty high right now. I looked at the hand shaking me, then Fang.

"Huh?" I mumbled, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

"You can change now." he said, the faintest blush forming on his cheeks. I groggily crawled over the center console and into the back seat, using one hand to keep the shirt from riding up. I slumped back as I dug out a light blue shirt and loose denim jeans out of a shopping. Checking to see if Fang was looking, I quickly slipped off the black t-shirt and replace it with the new outfit, having a bit of trouble getting the jeans on. I crawled back to the passenger seat, now seeing Fang's light blush had turned into full-on tomato face. He adverted his gaze from me and kept his eyes on the empty road.

**(A/N My computer decided to die before I could save, so excuse the crappy writing. I hate retyping things.)**

I watched his eyes brighten a little bit when he caught sight of a wide cave in a humongous desert crag. Making a sharp turn, he went off-road and into the cave, darkness enveloping. He must've already sensed my panic, because his warm hand reached for mine and gave it a reassuring squeeze. I scrunched my eyes shut as we drove endlessly in the shadows until the headlights glinted on something shiny right in front of us. I opened one eye and squinted, seeing two large metal doors. Wait a sec ...

What the hell are huge doors doing in a _cave?_

* * *

__**Sorry for the shortness. But I do have a good reason for it. Cue the techno music!**

***sings and dances like Micheal Jackson***

**It was a FILL-AH! FILL-LA-LA!**

**Just in case you're a bit confuzzled, it's a filler. So sorry! Stay insane, my friends.**

**-Completely Unstable**


	6. Sanctuary For The Enhanced

**I smell some FAX in this chapter. Not much but some. ;)**

I blinked hard, thinking the doors might disappear. But no, they still stood, tall and wide. Fang pushed a button on his car radio and the sing-song voice of a male crackled on the radio.

"We don't want your cookies!" it yelled, a hint a humor in its voice.

"Ig. Open the door." Fang said sternly, his eyebrows furrowing in obvious irritation." There was a long pause.

"Say please."

"What?"

"You heard me. Say the magic word." Fang just let out an angered grunt. "C'mon Fangaroo! You can say one word." I snickered quietly as the voice used a nickname I would save for later.

"Open the door or so help me, I will drive right through it." Fang demanded. Another silence.

"Close enough." the voice concluded. The rumbling of engines rumbled against the car's walls as the doors separated, harsh light seeping through the crack. I squinted as the blurs diminished, seeing a very clean, white room with an automatic door in the back. A teenage-looking boy with pale skin and light blonde hair stood behind the glass door, waving in our general direction with one hand and holding some remote in the other. Fang pulled into the room, shutting his car off and stepping out, stretching his back. I followed out with him, stretching my stiff muscles.

"And who is this lovely lady?" the boy asked, waggling his eyebrows. I raised an eyebrow. He was looking more at the car then he was at me.

"He's blind ... sort of." Fang said, seeing my confusion. I was going to ask for further explanation, but a pale arm snaked around my shoulders and I found myself being dragged along by the boy.

"So, how's Fangles been treatin' ya?" he asked, leading me through the glass doors that slid open. "I'm Iggy. What's your name?" he continued, not letting me answer.

"Max!" I said quickly, before "Iggy" could spew another question. I could hear Fang's whispered words of irritation as he followed close behind us.

"Where do you think you're taking her?" I heard Fang say.

"Just a tour, what else?"

"You can't" I turned around, looking at him in confusion. "She has to see the boss first."

***sings to Starships* Line breaks, for skipping TIIIIME! Just words, in bold type! I'm here, on my BEHIIIIND! And I just ran out of rhymes!**

I was pushed hastily into another doorway by both Iggy and Fang. I stumbled, then regained my balance, to see the back of a desk chair behind a large desk.

What is up with these dramatics? Is the boss gonna casually spin around petting a cat now?

"Hello." the perfect bell of a voice chimed while the chair began to turn. Cue the cat ...

The woman known as the boss looked only a few years younger than me, yet she was very petite, probably half a foot shorter than me. Her looks reminded me specifically of my precious Angel. Same golden head of curls. Same cobalt blue eyes. Same face. Same _everything._

I gasped at her appearance. She only raised an eyebrow.

"Name." she said bluntly. Her authoritative tone made me comply without hesitation.

"Maximum Ride."

"Interesting." she closed her eyes, thinking. "I suppose you're curious as to know why my colleague has transported you to here." Colleague? She must mean Fang.

I only nodded. I have been nodding a lot recently. The lady's face masked with seriousness as she tapped the tip of a pen on her desk.

"I understand you have some ... abnormal enhancements, Maximum. I think I'd like to see them as confirmation." she told me. I reluctantly nodded again. I let my wings slowly spread from the slits Fang cut in my shirt before we had gotten here. I spread them out wide, expecting to see the lady's face covered with surprise. She remained unfazed. "Ah, another winged one I see." she leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands. "If you ever need any assistance here, ask Fang or come to me. My name is Angela Harnson. I lead the sanctuary for the enhanced."

**I am Allen Walker, the destroyer of time, here to skip time.**

"And here's your room." Fang led me to a mechanical door and pushed the button on the center of it, causing it to slide open, all futuristic-y. My room was nothing to get excited over, but it was still pretty nice. It had a closet full of plain and loose clothes, which I was told I could replace later. My full-sized bed had a comfy looking blanket and two fluffy pillows. There was a small desk on the wall opposite of my bed, completely empty. It was nicely sized, way more legroom than I expected.

I walked in and sat on my bed, looking at the digital clock on the small nightstand. It was almost midnight? How long had Iggy's tour lasted? Unconsciously, I yawned loudly.

"I suppose you'll want to get some shuteye." Fang said, still lingering in the doorway. "My room is across the hall if you need anything." As he turned around, I lunged for him without thinking. Going to sleep meant it would have to be _dark. _He turned his face to me confused, as I clutched his sleeve. I looked at him with desperation. He sighed.

"You know, you should really talk more. It'd be easier on all of us." he said with a smirk.

"I don't wanna be alone again." I mumbled quietly. His onyx eyes flooded with sympathy as he walked back into my room. I was trembling like a lost puppy when I curled up on my bed as he shut the door and dimmed the light. He laid down next to my shaking body, letting me bury my face into his solid chest for comfort. He hugged me close, stroking one of my wings as he made calming shushing noises. I drifted off thinking _God, I will always love that voice of his. _The small rumble of laughter in his chest alarmed me that I _may _have thought that aloud. I shrugged it off, letting sleep enveloped me as I curled into the arms of my silky-voiced savior.

* * *

**Do you laaik it? You better fricking like it. LOL JK. Anyway, I appreciate the reviews from you guys, and WAY appreciate the 200+ hits this story got(grammatical errors and all). It made me feel successful xD. So please review, and no, I won't make you give me a certain number of reviews for me to post more chappies. I post them when I write them, that's it. Stay insane, my friends.**

**-Completely Unstable**


	7. Looking Through The Onyx Eyes

**Thanks MaxRideandPercyJackson4ever for inspiring this. I had slight writers block, so it's much appreciated! And excuse my language in the author's notes. You'll see why ;-;**

**Fang's POV**

I laid with Max cuddled up close to me, sound asleep. What was I _doing?_ I sighed and recalled the last week or so.

I remembered working undercover in that lab. Angela had only told me about another "enhanced human" being held there, so naturally, she sent me to go retrieve it. She only told me what she knew, which wasn't much. She only knew that this person had been kidnapped and tampered with like the rest of us and was being treated like an animal, knowing how those evil scientists like to operate. I worked as an errant runner for them for a week or so before they trusted me enough to get close to their special "subject". After working my way up the ladder, they believed I could now be the caretaker for the subject due to the previous one quitting or dying or whatever the hell happened to the sicko.

My first day, a very big, meat-headed scientist led me to a thick metal door and quietly popped open the latch. As light flooded into the pitch-black cell, I could see a scrawny figure curled up into ball in the corner. He snuck up to the figure, blindfold in hand.

"Here's how it's done!" he exclaimed, forcefully knotting the fabric around the now struggling figure's eyes. "You grab its wings so it can't flap them. Now you try." Wings? This is what they did to this person. Keeping my act up, I carefully grabbed the base of its wings. The figure began thrashing, so I used a free finger to pet the soft down on its wings.

"Shhh, calm down." I whispered. The figure's muscles relaxed, and a sigh escaped its lip. Now that it was still, I could see its appearance clearly. I was a girl with the longest, dirtiest, and most tangled hair I've ever seen. It had a light brown color with highlights of blonde and a tad bit of red. She was slightly too skinny and wore clothes that were worn thin, with holes and stains. Even I was shivering in this cell, clad in my labcoat. How long had she been here?

With the help of meat-head, I carried her over to the table, strapping her down as instructed while making more calming noises. I began sorting through the throng of syringes and vials I was given by meat-head, who was now gone. The clatter I was making caused the girl to tense. Was I just supposed to inject these in her while she was blinded? Looking at the marks on her arms, I doubt this was a rare occurrence. I figured a way to discreetly brace her for each different injection. I tapped her forearm and quickly inserted the needle, pushing down the sickly colored chemical into her arm.

I could see her eyebrows furrow in confusion as I did the same thing with her calf. She relaxed after a few more, but I could see each one was getting more painful than the last.

"This is the last one, I promise." I bent down and whispered in her ear. She winced as I gave her the last vial-full that remained, and I picked her up, carrying her back to that terrible cell. I set her down and untied the blindfold, letting it drop to the ground as her beautiful chocolaty eyes were revealed to me. She gasped loudly as she saw me.'

"I need you to be quiet." I whispered, quickly covering her mouth with my hand. She blinked hard and studied my appearance, her eyes meeting mine. I tried not to get lost in her deep brown gaze as I unknowingly ran my fingers through her tangled hair.

**(A/N My computer decided to mess up earlier so all 500 words I had typed up after this point ... let's just say *POOF*! FUCKING GONE. I hate rewriting things ;-;)**

"I won't let you live like this much longer." I told her "Just bare with me, please." She gave me a fraction of a nod and I smiled at her. I reluctantly turned away, saying one last thing before I creaked the door closed.

"And I hope you liked the bread."

I ran right into meat-head after that, hoping he hadn't overheard me.

"Get the specimen prepped for tomorrow, new guy." he said, not hesitating to order me around. "Make sure it gets fed plenty. We can't test these new formulas with it on an empty stomach."

"Got it." I nodded, giving him a sneer as he turned away. I took the risk of depositing something actually edible on the girls tray before I opened her prison back up.

"Eat up. I promise everything will be better after tomorrow." I said, putting the tray down. I could see her cheeks perk up in an obvious smile before I went back out into the lab, mentally preparing myself for the following events.

The next day, I took caution in sneaking the formula Angela had supplied me with into my labcoat and took the liberty of doing today's tests by myself. Meat-head looked at me with doubt, but allowed me.

**(A/N I know I already said this, but I am seriously dying inside because of losing all that work. Whatever sanity I had left is gone)**

I splayed her out on the table, going with the usual routine. I injected her with a few of the vials those horrible scientists gave me, just for security. I discreetly pulled out the sickly-colored chemical from my pocket and inserted it into a painful looking syringe.

"This one isn't going to feel good. Brace yourself." I said calmly. I pushed the needle into her arm, trying to pump the liquid out as quickly as possible. She was hurting, but this was going to be over soon. I took the needle out, watching the heart monitor show her slowing pulse and her body become slacked. Panic crossed her face, trying to pull at the restraints. "Don't fight it, it'll all be over soon." I said quickly. She relaxed a bit, before turning into the equivalent of a ragdoll. I don't know why, but I felt slightly angered when the monitor began flatlining. Scientists began flooding in the room, jabbering wildly to find out what happened to their precious "subject".

"What the- its heart isn't beating!"

"The chemical must've been toxic! It's dead!"

**(A/N And so am I ... on the inside)**

"Looks like we'll need another subject after all." I said, playing along with fake disappointment on my face.

"Dispose of it. Now. We don't need it's decay stinking the place up." Meat-head ordered. I nodded, resisting the urge to punch him in the chin for his disrespect. I pulled off of the girl's restraints, carefully slinging her over my shoulder. I weaved through the many halls of the building. I walked a long way, then out of the emergency exit.

Then I made a run for it.

I got to my car, placing the girl in the backseat, starting it up, then hauling ass out of there. A few hours later, I swore I saw the girl move. I watched her intently as her eyes flew open, and I heard her voice for the first time, crying out against the bright sunlight.

"Are you okay?" I asked, concerned. She blinked at me and didn't respond, so I repeated my question.

"I ... I ... what's going on?" she asked, her voice hoarse. I explained to her the previous events. I jumped a little as she began bawling before me.

"T-thank you." she said through tears. "Who are you?"

"Call me Fang." I answered, smiling. I swear I saw her swoon just a smidge. I saw her face brighten up as she looked down at her side, gaping at the sight of one of her wings. She inched one out further, admiring it.

"They're beautiful, just so you know." I said without thinking. I looked at her to see blush forming on her cheeks. We drove til night, me having plenty of entertainment while watching her stare outside the window in awe. Later she told me her name was Max, short for Maximum. I held back my questions about her strange name, but then again, I was called Fang. I had no room to be ask.

We drove until I pulled up at a motel, letting Max clean up and having her borrow one of my t-shirts. I tried not to stare as she stepped out of the bathroom, running over to her bed a curling under the covers. Now that she had been cleaned up, her appearance sent me even more over the edge.

Her now untangled hair was shiny and cascaded past her waist, grown from the lack of cuttings in her prison. Her arms and legs revealed many bruises and even more scars. Her skin was insanely pale from light-deprivation, but still gorgeous. I went to shut off the lights, and I could hear Max whimpering, her trembling body shaking wildly. I began comforting her, rubbing her back between her wings. As I went to get up, her hand shot to my arm and had a death grip on it. I could see the fear and desperation surface in her eyes.

Unconsciously, I moved her elongated bangs from her face. I kept rubbing her back as I lowered myself beside her. She fell asleep within a matter of seconds, pressing herself close to me. I found myself falling to the grasp of sleep and put one arm around her, burying my face in her soft curls.

I'll spare you the details of the next morning, since I may or may not have seen more of Max than necessary. So here I am now, with this girl that I rescued. I don't exactly know what the hell compelled me to lay down in her bed with her, but I am fully prepared to blame it on those puppy dog eyes she gave. Those beautiful, big, brown, mesmerizing, dreamy ... WOAH, WOAH. KEEP IT TOGETHER FANG.

Seriously! What the hell is this girl doing to me?!

* * *

**omigawd that was painful. I hate retyping things. I hate my computer. I wanted to throw it out of a window and just GIVE UP. But I fricking didn't. FOR YOU. BE HAPPY. I SURE AS HELL AM NOT. Stay Insane, my friends**.

**-The mentally deteriorating Completely Unstable**


	8. The Sonic Boom

**This chapter is kinda boring in the beginning, but bare with it, there's a totally awesome flying scene that I bet you'll love.**

I reluctantly opened my eyes to be right next to Fang's peaceful, sleeping face. I walked right into this situation, _again. _What is wrong with me? I'm like a little toddler that can't sleep without a nightlight!

This time, both of his arms were around me, trapping me next to him in a hug. No way I was getting out of this one without waking him. I guess I would have to wait it out until he woke up, because I sure as hell wasn't able to move. I just laid still, happily using his chest as a pillow. Man, this guy has been working out. I could feel the muscles underneath his shirt.

I sat there for awhile before I felt Fang's arms shift around me. My entire body tensed, waiting for his reaction. His eyes fluttered open, the directed themselves at me. He blinked, as if I was a hallucination that would disappear. After realizing that I was, in fact, being constricted by his arms, his eyes widened. He let go, and I missed his warmth as he jumped off of the bed.

"M-morning." he greeted nervously. Was this going to become a normal thing between us? I was kinda hoping it would be.

"Morning to you, too!" a playful voice in our doorway made us both jump. It was Iggy, a smug grin on his face. "Getting cozy with the new girl, aren't ya Fangarang?" I could see the glare in Fang's eyes at yet another classic nickname.

"New girl has a name." I remarked. "And good morning to you, Igglypuff." Whoa. Where did _that _come from? I saw fake shock on Iggy's face, and Fang ... well, he was holding back laughter. **(A/N IGGLYPUFF. OH MY GAWD. I'M DYING AT WHAT I JUST TYPED.)**

"How dare you insult my name?" he said dramatically, clutching his heart. I rolled my eyes at him. I remembered one little detail.

"I'm rolling my eyes, Ig." After his little acting debut, Iggy finally snickered.

"Igglypuff!" he said through laughter. "That is _classic!_" he caught his breath and sighed. "If you're hungry, I suppose Fangles can take you down to the Mess Hall." With that, he left, waving us goodbye.

**Time skip, beeches.**

I sat down at a circular table with two tray-fulls of food with me, where Iggy, Fang, and some others I didn't know sat with me.

"Wow." I heard Iggy's surprised tone when I began digging in. "That girl can eat."

"Could you blame me?" I said, swallowing half of a cheeseburger. "I haven't had anything edible in months, minus what Fang gave me."

"So this is who Angela sent Fang to get!" the mocha-skinned girl sitting across from me exclaimed. She held her hand out to me. "My name is Nudge! What's yours?"

"Max." I said nervously, giving her hand a good shake.

''Wow. That's a weird name, but it totally suits your appearance! I love your hair. It's so long. Are you growing it out? I wish I could-"

_"Click" _Iggy interrupted her jabbering. We all stared at him.

"What in the world was that?" Nudge finally asked.

"I was trying to change the channel." he answered, pointing an imaginary remote at her. "I got tired of the Nudge Channel, so _click._"

It took her awhile to process the joke, but right after she was submersed in a full-fledged argument with Iggy. I just giggled and kept inhaling my food. A little blonde boy sat down next to the arguing Iggy and Nudge, with a mountain of food similar to mine.

"Is this the new recruit?" he asked excitedly.

"Yup." Fang answered. "Max, this is Gazzy, Angela's younger brother." I shook Gazzy's extended hand. Can I just eat in piece?

"So what is your 'enhancement'?" he asked, using air quotes.

"Yeah, what is your enhancement?"

"I wanna know, too!"

Looks like Nudge and Iggy have a little thing called "selective hearing". No words came out of my mouth, so Fang answered for me.

"Same as the rest of us." he said. My mouth hung open. Do they all have wings like me?

"Wings? Coool!" Nudge squealed with joy. "What do yours look like?" Since I seemed to be at a loss for words, I just unfurled my left one so they could get a little peek. "Wow! They look like a hawk!"

"So ... you have them, too?" Aha! It speaks! They all nodded. Even Fang.

"We should totes go flying together!" Nudge said. Everyone else agreed. Is sighed, tucking my wing back in.

"Sure."

**I'm a mongoose. LOLJK I'm a time skip.**

We stood atop the humongous crag that held the base. It had been a long stair climb up to this peak, I wondered how long it took to hollow out this giant rock. Each of us had our entire wingspan spread out wide, ready to take off.

"C'mon guys!" Nudge cheered. She jumped off of the jagged edge, giving her tawny wings a powerful flap and shooting into the blue desert sky. Iggy followed close behind, tailing her with loops and spirals. Fang stood there waiting for me.

"Ladies first." he gestured towards the sky, his midnight wings twitching a bit. I stared at the ground.

"I ... don't know how." I mumbled. Fang raised an eyebrow. It's not like the ever let me outside in that prison.

"It's pretty easy." he said. "I can teach you how, if you want." I just nodded. He took my hand, walking me over to the edge. I looked down at the ground below and gulped. It was a really long fall.

"Hey, just focus, ok?" Fang's hand grabbed my chin and lifted it up so I was looking at him. I found myself melting when I met his obsidian eyes. Snap out of it, Max!

"All you have to do is flap, nice and steady. Okay?" I nodded. I didn't think I had the guts to jump off, though. I looked out at the open sky, my wings shivering, until two hands place themselves on my back, and pushed me forward, off of the safety of the crag.

I shrieked, pushing my wings down against the rushing air. It hurt my back a little but I kept flapping until I maintained a steady glide. I opened my eyes wide to take in my passing surroundings. It was so _beautiful._

"You like the view?" a familiar smooth, yet smug voice shouted from above me. I looked up to see Fang, his powerful black wings flapping above me. All I did was laugh with joy and shoot forward, stretching my wings out further and flapping them harder. I looked in awe as the landscape flew by, faster and faster with each glide. Fang caught up beside me, struggling to keep up. I ignored his amused expression for a bit, tilting forward and flying straight up to the sky, spiraling with my arms spread wide. Eventually, both Nudge and Iggy stopped chasing each other to watch my aerial tricks.

I'd always dreamed of flying while in that cell, but this was pure Euphoria. I dove through a cloud, marveling at the sky when I broke through it, condensation coating my face. I spun, letting my body fall as I dove toward the ground like a missile, my wings tuck to my back. The ground approached fast and I fell right past Fang's stunned face. Right before I nose-dived into the desert, I snapped my wings open, gliding parallel to the ground, going with all of the speed I could manage. I flew just for the sake of it, and altered my direction when I spotted a wide river, probably the only source of water in the dried area. I flew close to the water, dropping an arm down to skin the surface. Mist clouded around me, refracting the light in a rainbow, shining trail behind me.

I looked up to see Fang, Nudge, and Gazzy flying above me in a V formation, trailing behind my supersonic speed.

There was no talking.

No routine.

Just flying.

I felt one last surge of energy in me, and I was going to give this last stretch all that I had. I shot upward again, the harsh wind pushing my elongated hair straight. I could go faster, and I was. With all the give I had left, I surged forward towards the sun, and an ear-blasting explosion shuddered around me, vibrating every part of my being.

I, Maximum Ride, had created a sonic boom.

**Fang POV**

We stopped to hover a bit, staring at Max as she flew faster and faster, creating the most beautiful affects around her. Our mouth were left hanging open as she cut through the air, causing a giant blast radius to vibrate around her, and explosion encircling her. The sound echoed around us, louder than anything we'd heard before.

"Amazing ..." I heard Nudge's voice hushed, at a loss for word. That was surely a first. I smiled at Nudge, who looked completely flabbergasted.

"Yes. Yes she is."

* * *

**Wanna know what helped me write such an AMAZING flying scene. Listening to Moonlight by The Piano Guys. God, that would be the background music to that scene. YES. Max did in fact break the sound barrier, therefore, she made a sonic boom. I know what I'm talking about. I hope you guys liked it. I'm honestly really proud of myself. Stay insane, my friends.**

**-Completely Unstable**


	9. When You Thought The Fog Was Lifting

**I realized I left good ol' Gazzy out of the flying scene. Just pretend he was with Angela, kay?**

I hovered there, alone, Fang and the others still watching (or listening, if you take Iggy into consideration) in awe. To think, I _just _learned how to fly. I flew over to the others and gave them a stupid, happy smile.

"Wow." Fang said. "That was loud." Loud? That's it?

"ZOMG That was amazing!" Nudge squealed. "How?!" Now even ten words out of motor mouth. I must be a pretty good flyer. Suddenly worry crossed Iggy's face.

"I think Epic and Buffy might've heard that." Iggy said. "They're probably worried."

"Who?" I asked, confused.

"They're the two 'enhanced humans' that are always on lookout." Fang explained, using air quotes. "They're probably on their wit's end trying to figure out what that noise was."

"Should we go tell them?" I furrowed my eyebrows. I've heard the strangest names here and seen the strangest people. But "Epic" and "Buffy" couldn't possibly be names. Could they?

"Yeah, I guess." Fang shrugged. "Just let us land first. Epic wouldn't hesitate to shoot a stranger out of the sky."

**OOOOOOO You get to meet my OC's. Yayyy!**

Fang, Nudge, and Iggy all insisted that I stay behind them. From what little they were telling me, these two people were both trigger happy. We landed on a crag miles away from the base, slowly and cautious. I was mid-stretch when a click froze me into a statue. That was the click of a gun.

"Hey, relax. She's with us." I heard Iggy say with his hands up defensively as two people approached us. They looked just downright _strange._

One had dark brown hair pulled into a tight bun, leaving a chunk to cover her right eye. She was dressed in a dark grey turtleneck and black pants and _god how is she not sweating like a pig. _Her boots were lace up, ultraviolet and extremely tall, so much that they ended at mid-thigh. In one hand, she held a handgun aimed at my head and I could easily see another poking out of her other boot._  
_

Behind her followed a girl with hot pink hair in a loose ponytail. She wore a bright blue, long sleeved, v-neck dress, matching military boots that only went to her knees, and bright pink thigh-high socks. I could see the obvious color scheme she was going for. She had a scary-looking shotgun casually slung around her shoulder with a thick black strap. Both of their eyes matched the colors of there boots. It's not everyday you see a girl with bright fricking purple eyes.

These two girls where responsible of looking out for the entire base? I could see the purple one being the one to lead, but the pink and blue one looked too innocent for that shotgun of hers.

"God, you winged little guys are _everywhere_, aren't ya?" the purple one remarked jokingly. She stuck her single handgun back into her boot and examined me with her bright eyes.

"What was that boomy thingy?" the pink one asked, her voice curious. She even _sounded _too innocent for that gun of hers.

"Well," Iggy began. "This 'winged little guy' decided to break the sound barrier, so sorry for the scare."

"It was not a decision!" I protested. They simply shrugged whatever I said off.

"Impressive." the purple one said with a smirk. "Name's Epic."

"Buffy!" the pink one squealed.

"Max." I said, sticking to the one-word introductions. "So, you guys are enhanced, too? No offense, but besides your eyes and hair, you look normal."

"Oh, dearest Max." Epic chuckled. "We don't need obvious appearances to be enhanced. Our powers involve science, the most hated art to the enhanced sanctuary!"

I just looked at them, confuzzled. Epic sighed.

"Buffy has the ability to break down her molecular structure to transport and rebuild or alter it. I manipulate the air density and static."

I held my dumb stare.

"I teleport and fly. Epic has force fields." Buffy explained.

"Jeez. Try saying that the first time." I said, feeling incompetent. I suddenly had an idea. "Hey, Buffy. If you can actually fly, try racing me." She tilted her pink head in thought. A cheery smile spread across her face and she gave an eager nod. Adjusting her shotgun on her back, she breathed deeply. Her feet slowly drifted off of the rock, letting her float in midair. I stared in awe.

"I can make my molecular structure lighter or heavier at my own command, thus light as air!" she cheered, floating higher.

"You go fly while I watch." Epic grumbled. She walked over to the opposite side of the crag and let us all take off back into the sky. Buffy was pretty good at maneuvering and was almost as fast as I was. We raced to a jagged structure off into the distance. In the final stretch, I was in the lead. Frustration flashed on Buffy's face as her entire body seemed to fold in on itself and disappear in thin air. She reappeared atop the rock we were racing to, looking smug.

"I win!" she chimed, jumping up and down.

"No fair! You teleported!" I argued. She only laughed.

"I was playing to my strengths." she corrected, wagging her finger at me. "See ya back at the lookout!" And at that, she was gone. I stomped my foot out of frustration and flew back, grumbling some colorful words under my breath.

**Time skippies!**

I sat in Angela's office, trying to situate myself in a large leather chair. She sat there, tapping a pen on her desk in thought. I had been called in here by Gazzy shortly after we had gotten back. We sat there in a deafening, awkward silence.

"Am I in trouble?" I finally said, my voice quavering. I don't know why, but I am getting this serious "school principal" vibe from her.

"What?" Angela opened one eye, as if remembering I was still there. "Oh, no. Of course not. You have proven well on your first day here. I have other matters that are far more dire than whatever you were doing outside."

"Oh." I sat back, more relaxed. "Okay. What is it?"

"You see, the scientists that held you captive seemed to put far more work into your genetic altering than they usually do, hence the speed." she explained. "Seeing as they found you to be a somewhat successful test subject, they'll be searching for ones that are compatible to the experiments they tested on you." She paused, as if my severely lacking mind could figure out what she meant.

"... And?" I asked bluntly.

"Well, Maximum." she closed her eyes and rested her head in her hands, obviously frustrated with this news. For someone who only looked 13 or 14 years old, she seemed awfully mature. "They aren't just going to pick any person off of the streets. They have standards for their subjects. And right now, they're looking for somebody preferably similar to your genetics." She paused again, letting the news sink in this time. Realization hit me like a stone fist, knocking the breath out of me and causing my blood to run cold.

"They wouldn't." I whispered. Angela's face showed some sympathy. I put my head on her desk, staring at the ground tearing threatening to escape.

"I'm afraid so, Maximum." Angela said, placing her petite hand on mine. "They'll be hunting down your sisters."

* * *

**AH YES. TWISTING JUST LIKE A PRETZEL, EH? It's just lovely. First I introduce you to my crazy OC's, make everything seem happy-happy-joy-joy, and BAM! Yup, I turn it into ... this. Whatever. I apologize for grammatical errors. Stay insane, my friends.**

**-Completely Unstable**

**PS: I totally love that this story now has 21 reviews and 600+ hits! It's very encouraging. **


	10. Flying Out

I wanted to cry, but I just couldn't. Non-existent sobs racked my entire body, causing my body to tremble in shock.

"I'm sorry to further push the matter," Angela spoke, her hand still on mine. "But I need more information on your sisters to asses the situation at hand." I gave one last tremble and sat myself up, sucking down whatever emotion I had. I had to be strong. I had shown far too much weakness when I was imprisoned, and I was done with that. I was going to reconstruct myself into a invincible Max, as strong and confident as Buffy and Epic.

Angela smiled a little at my bravery, regaining her professional expression.

"I need to know what relations you have with them. If they're related to you by blood or legally."

"Ella is my half sister, but Angel ..." I trailed off, trying to keep my stance. I couldn't bare thinking of those harsh men taking my little baby.

"She has the same mother and father?" I only nodded, my eyes beginning to sting. Angela sighed. "I've always had a strict policy of reserving this sanctuary for the enhanced only, but ..." She pinched the bridge of her nose, obviously displeased with the situation she would have to make. "Seeing as there is a potential for abduction and genetic altering, I suppose I can make the rule slightly more flexible."

"So ..." I said, trying to analyze what big words Angela was using. "Does that mean we're going to get Angel and Ella?"

"No, my apologies. We'll only be retrieving Angel. Ella's genetics is less than or equal to half of yours, they won't give her a second glance." Angela corrected. I was slightly disappointed, but could only be grateful. As long as my baby and Ella were safe, it didn't matter. I was still going to see them again after all.

**Possibility for happening ending? Maybe ... probably not. TIME SKIP.**

I ran to my room to pack some supplies for the long trip ahead. Angela specifically instructed what the plan would be.

I was to fly over to my hometown and find a safe spot to land, then I would be heading to my old house to fetch Angel, say my goodbyes to Ella and mom, and get my ass right out of there. Angela didn't actual use those exact words, but still. She was pretty wary about letting me off on my own, but was limited on options. She knew of my speed, so she wanted a flyer that could keep up. Angela automatically opted out of having Buffy, who was fastest before I showed up, to come with because she was on constant lookout. So she went with second best.

And of course that meant Fang.

Why was I so happy it was him? It was because he saved me, right? Yeah, that's definitely why.

I was shoving the last clothing item in my specially designed bookbag. It was special because it was shaped and fitted so it would interfere with our flying. I heard the quiet _woosh _of my door sliding open and was once again reminded that I should really learn how to lock it. In my doorway stood Fang, adjusting his bookbag on his shoulders. He was dressed in his usual colors, head to toe.

"Ready to go?" he asked. I nodded excitedly and slipped my pack on, practically bolting down the hall to be intercepted by three other bird kids.

"Where you going to leave without saying goodbye?" Iggy said, giving me a big hug. I hugged him back with equal force.

"I can't believe your bringing your little sister over." Nudge began jabbering. "It's so unlike Angela to bring normal people here. She must really like you, Max! So what's your sister like? How old is-?"

"Nudge!" Gazzy said, slapping his hand over her mouth. "So when will you be back?"

"Soon." I answered. "I promise." We all joined in one last feathery group hug and Fang and I departed to the stairwell that led to the top of the base. We confidently spread our wings out, letting the wind ruffly our soft feathers.

"Now try and keep the sound barrier intact." Fang teasingly instructed. "We're incognito." I gave him a playful punch on the shoulder then flapped my wings strong, letting them sail me into the sky. Fang followed close behind in his 16 foot midnight glory. I was finally going to get my Angel.

**Why are you reading me? I'm just a little time skip.**

We set up a little fire to keep warm. We had landed in this clearing not even an hour ago because neither one of us had the strength to keep going. I studied the little map Fang had packed, calculating the distance we had left. Fang looked over my shoulder after he was done loading the fire with more sticks.

"We don't have much longer to go." I said, tracing my finger along the rest of our path. "Flying definitely saves time. At this rate, we could make it in less than two days." Fang tilted his head in a nod, sitting across from me and crossing his legs. I folded the map up, tucking it in my bookbag. I sat back and sighed, enjoying the warmth of the fire. We sat in heavy silence, only the sounds of the surrounding forest to accompany us.

My aching muscles and loud yawning told me that it was time to roll out the sleeping bag and tuck in for the night. I slipped into the thick and cozy fabric, making my own little cocoon and seeing Fang mirror my actions. We both went to sleep without a word, the crackling of the fire being our lullaby.

**Line break ... dancing! Just kidding. I look like a newborn giraffe when I dance.**

I opened my eyes to see a bright white room with a examination table adorning the center of it. Over were crisp white sheets, lumped and crinkled from something quivering beneath it. I cautiously stepped towards the table, peeling the sheet back. I gasped.

Under them were a little girl who was far too thin with blonde, matted hair. Her eyes were the color of blueberries, but seemed completely dead and defeated, despite her shallow breaths. Her arms were covered in scars and bruises similar to my own and beneath her back were smooth, snowy wings.

They did this to my baby.

Those scientists did this to my Angel.

I cried out and hugged Angel to me, desperately coaxing her to speak to me. She hung limp in my arms, like a ragdoll. Her eyes didn't move or direct themselves at me. She was like the living dead. I held her and refused to let her go, wanting her to show me some kind of sign. I was alarmed by arms wrapping themselves around me, causing Angel to slip out of my arms as they dragged me away. I thrashed wildly, trying to get to her.

My eyes flew open to feel Fang's arms restraining mine, trying to stop my struggles.

"It's just a dream, calm down." he whispered in my ear. I went limp and he released me, only for me to bury my face in his chest and begin sobbing. He just kept making calming shushing noises, rubbing up and down my back. After I had no more tears to choke on, Fang let go and unzipped his sleeping back, gesturing to the surplus of room he had left. I smiled graciously and crawled in with him, using his chest as a pillow as he zipped both of us back in. I was soon greeted by sleep with the help of Fang's warmth and his protective arm around me.

With a dreamy sigh, I slept with no nightmares. Then and there, I made a promise to myself.

I wasn't going to let them take my Angel.

I wasn't going to let her endure the hell that I did.

Even if it killed me.

* * *

**D'awwww more Fax! Thankfully it's getting easier to write 1000+ words for each chapter every time. So thanks again for reviews you given me! I really appreciate your support. Stay insane, my friends.**

**-Completely Unstable**


	11. The Green Polished Door

Now that I think of it, I could really get used to waking up snuggled in Fang's arms.

At this point I didn't even panic, because dear god, this is ... what? The third time? I bet Fang had gotten used to it, too. I'm glad to know that he actually _offered _this time, instead of me using me little terrified toddler mode. I mean, come on! Will I ever be able to sleep by myself anymore?!

"You awake?" a whisper right next to my ear startled me just a bit. Looks like Fang's awake, too.

"Yeah." I replied, relaxing again. Without thinking, I snuggled into him, screaming at myself mentally right after doing so. I expected the air to instantly weigh down with awkwardness, but instead, Fang's arms hugged me tighter, causing obvious blush to surface on my cheeks.

"Any bad dreams?" he asked, his warm breath tingling on my cheek. I just shook my head in my desperate attempt to cover my face with my face with my hands. The light rumble in his chest told me that despite my efforts, I was failing to hide my tomato-tinted face. One arm unwrapped itself from me to reach for the zipper, which required him to hover me a little.

_Oh man, his face is so close! _that one thought was repeating itself at hyper-speed inside my head. I removed my hands from my face to look up at him, and just when I thought my face couldn't get any redder, my crappy sense of distance betrayed me and my nose brushed his cheek. I froze there as the zipper was opened, releasing me from the cocoon. Fang lowered himself back next to me, and I swear I saw a pinch of pink on his olive skin.

I crawled out, getting to my feet and straightening my shirt a bit. Rolling up my unused sleeping bag and kicking dust in what little was still burning in the fire, I slung my bookbag on my shoulders, patiently waiting for Fang while studying the map. Seeing he was ready, we took off again.

**Skippies!**

We flew at a certain pattern, the first day flying for a few hours than taking an hour long rest. But the second day, we didn't stop for a decent ten. We kept going strong, since the wind was blowing in our favor, and I reeeeally wanted to get Angel ASAP. I took the map out one more time, trying to study it without losing it in the breeze.

"We should land now." I yelled to Fang, trying to cut through the howls and gusts. "The town in a mile or so and we don't want to be seen." Fang nodded, letting his altitude lower with a steady beat of his wings slowing his descent. We hit the ground with a light tap, disturbing some of the thin foliage, making a chorus of rustling leaves.

"Which way?" Fang asked, I pointed off to my right and we began walking, me putting up my hood and putting on sunglasses to hide my face. It was a small town and I really didn't want a huge uproar to break out when people saw I was back. I had a little trouble tucking my hair in so it didn't show through the hood since it had to at least grown a foot since I was kidnapped, but I managed.

I tried not to cry out in joy as I walked through these familiar woods. I remember when my sisters and I would make the journey and have picnics out here. It reminded me of so many happy memories that I had lost.

**Let's - EXCUSE ME BABY - Go - YEAH-YA BABY - Back - OH YOU GROOVY BABY - In - LET'S MAKE A MOVIE BABY - Time.**

**That was a crappy excuse for me saying "flashback"**

_We ran to our favorite clearing, me carrying the cooler with the food and Ella with a blanket slung over her shoulder, holding Angel's hand._

_"C'mon slowpokes!" I yelled playfully at them. Ella just stuck her tongue out at me and Angel giggled. She rolled the blanket, patting down the dirt underneath it. I set down the cooler and took in the fresh air. I absolutely loved coming to this same clearing every time we wanted a picnic. I came to this exact place every time, and Ella or Angel never noticed. They had thought it was a new place every time. But I knew._

_We splayed out all of the food mom had prepared for us. A couple of sandwiches, some fruit, and a bag of potato chips along with water bottles. We dug right in, savoring every bite. It was a common thing for us, sometimes daily when the summer months came around. We would even suck it up and walk out here during the winter if the weather was kind enough. Other times, we only went because Angel wanted to. Afterwards, we would always join hands and trek the way back in satisfied silence._

**End of Flashback!**

The woods eventually thinned out until we were in my small home town, sticking to the shaded areas to keep my face hidden. People I knew passed by, and I had to suppress the aching need to wave to them and yell that I was back.

At this point, Fang had all together stopped asking me which direction was next and followed my footsteps. I let every single memory resurface as I passed by houses and shop windows. It was painful yet lightening at the same time, if that even made any sense.

All of the sudden I stopped, causing Fang to lightly bump into my back from his sudden halt. He saw the tears slipping past my sunglasses and looked at what I was looking at. It was a two-story white house that obviously was not owned by a poor family. It had an exquisite garden and a cobblestone walkway to the huge, polished, dark green door. It was beautiful.

And it used to be mine.

Fang knew what had cause this sudden wave of emotions, and he grabbed my hand, walking me slowly to the door. He gave the bronze door knocker **(I have no idea what it's called) **and gave it a light tap. The door opened not a moment later, agonizingly slow. My tired mother appeared in the doorway, giving a sad excuse for a smile.

"How may I help you today?" she asked, her voice empty. Fang stood slightly in front of me, probably trying to stop me from throwing myself into her arms.

"We'd like to have a very important discussion regarding your family. May we please come inside?" he asked, with the utmost kindness and suave. My mother seemed hesitant, but she opened the door and gestured us inside, eyeing me suspiciously.

We sat down on a cozy brown couch that was obviously new, my mother calling Ella and Angel to sit down on the identical one across from us. I shifted nervously and kept my head down, all three of them watching me like a hawk.

"So what would you like to discuss with us?" mother asked.

"Before we say, we must ask that you hold back questions until we further explain." Fang instructed. They all just raised an eyebrow and nodded, very confused.

**(A/N Ermahgerd. My computer did it again guise. 300 words ... RIP Sanity)**

Fang looked at me. That's my cue.

I simultaneously pulled off my sunglasses and hood, letting my hair escape and my eyes see the brightness of the room. They stared, utterly shocked. Angel got up slowly, almost like a mindless robot, walking over to me with wide, cobalt eyes. She lunged for me, burying her face in my jacket and sobbing while giving me a hug that put cobras to shame. Then came Ella. Then came mom. The sudden show of pure affection caused my wings to twitch very much. They all froze.

Each one of them had at least one hand on my back, whether next to a wing or directly on it. They had to have noticed the slits in my jacket, much more the movement back there. I gently pushed them away, sighing sadly.

"Mom, Ella, Angel, I have something to tell you." I said quietly. I signaled for the to give me some room and they backed away slowly, staring at Fang curiously as he walked around the room, closing the drapes. "The people who took me ... they were scientists, but not the good kind." I paused, trying to untwist my tongue. "They treated me like a lab rat and they ... they changed me." I said, my voice becoming strangled. Mother walked up to me and put a hand on my shoulder.

"You can show us if you can't say it. Nothing can ever change how we see you." she reassured, her mascara smudging from tears. I took in a breath and nodded.

I closed my eyes tight. I didn't want to see their disgusted reaction. I didn't want to watch them reject me. I couldn't bare it, no matter how strong I was.

Using all of my willpower, I spread my wings for them to see.

* * *

**I bet you really love me right now. I thought I should end this chappy right here, just for you. This is pretty long considering my mediocre writing skills. So yeah. I appreciate all of the reviews and have my fingers crossed for more! Stay insane, my friends.**

**-Completely Unstable**

**(1000+ hits. Just wow.)**


	12. And Thus, It Shatters Violently

Silence.

It filled the room to the brim, deafening in a certain way.

I just wanted to jump out of the window and high-tail it back to base. I was two seconds from doing so until ...

Until they all hugged me again, this time stroking the soft feathers on my wings.

"You don't care that I'm ... that I'm a freak?" I barely managed to whisper. The trembling in my body showed through my voice, tears brimming my eyes.

"You're not a freak, you're Max." Angel say innocently, staring at my wings in awe.

"As I said," Mom pulled back to look me right in the eyes. "Nothing can ever change how we see you." I stared at her, completely touched. Bursting into tears, I hugged her tight, not even bothering to tuck in my wings. I could now let my stomach settle a bit to know that my family would never turn their backs on my, "enhanced" or not.

**Skippies~!**

I sat comfortably on the couch now, slouching back and relaxing. The water-works were done for now, and we had to get to business.

"We have some bad news." Fang began. "Max feigned her death in order to escape the facility, so they'll be looking for new subjects similar to her." Mom just tilted her head a bit, confused. There was another silence, Fang hesitating to say the last of it.

"Mom ..." I said, attracting her immediate attention. "They're going to try and steal Angel." I got it out as quickly and quietly as I could, hoping Angel wouldn't hear as she slept in my lap. She had gotten so cozy being back with me, she just dozed off not too long ago. Mom froze, her face plastered with shock. She didn't know what to say, so Fang said it for her.

"We can guarantee her safety if you allow us to take her with us." Fang explained. "We live in a special base where specifically the enhanced reside. Our boss has made the exception of letting Angel refuge there."

"She would ... leave." Mom said, her voice quivering. I nodded. "She would be safe, right?"

"I wouldn't let those scientists even think of hurting her." I said, my voice grave. Mom started to sniffle, and gave her head a single tilt, forming a nod. I smile sadly at her, setting Angel down on the couch. I heard Fang wake her up and soothingly tell her about what was going on while I ran upstairs and pack some of her clothes and precious items, including her stuffed bear, Celeste. I slung her cute little pink duffle over my shoulder, bounding downstairs, where my Angel was sniffling through her goodbyes. She hugged Mom an Ella, who were trying not to cry for her sake. I took her tiny hand and offered her a small smile, as we walked to the door, waving sadly. I reached for the doorknob when the familiar dark green, polished wood was blown to bits right before my eyes.

A piece of debris struck my head, turning everything black.

Cold and terrifying black.

**Get ready for ... TWISTS!**

My eyes flew open, or at least I thought they did. I closed them again, and reopened them, only to be fooled again. It was pitch black and the air was cold and dank. Far too familiar. Abruptly, I hunched over on the cold, concrete floor, mouth open in a silent scream and body trembling in shock and horror.

_It was all a dream. _A fantasy. A hallucination.

My mind played the most horrible trick on me out of desperation. It had recreated a reunion with my beloved family, meeting friends that could actually understand me, and creating a person I ... I ...

Creating a person I loved.

I could admit it now. He was never real, so what could I have to lose? I was in love with Fang, ever since I "heard" his voice. I could stare into those midnight eyes all day, lost in their bottomless voids. I wanted to run my fingers through his silky black hair and be close to him. But I couldn't. He was a figment of my imagination.

"I should've known." I whispered to myself. "It was all a lie. Too good to be true. I'll never see him again ..." I trailed off, beginning to cry. "Fang ..." I cried and cried with my voice hushed. I crawled my way to my usual corner, huddling into a ball. I expected my tangled hair to get in my way as always, but it cascaded easily. I took a strand of it between two fingers and rubbed it, anticipating the gritty and greasy feeling. It wasn't exactly filthy, but it wasn't squeaky clean either. I was smooth like silk in my hand. I ran my hand down my arms. They were clean, too. I was going to continue my inspection when a groan alerted me.

I whipped my head around to the direction of the sound, cautiously crawling towards it. My left hand shot up when it hit the distinct form of a shoe. I poked it lightly, causing a form to move around against the wall. I heard one last rustle, and then a silky voice spoke.

"Hello?" it said groggily. I knew that voice.

"Fang!" I cried, wrapping my arms around his neck, which I automatically found in the lack of light. He was taken aback by my gesture, but wrapped his arms around me as I buried my face in his shoulder.

"M-max?!" he stammered, surprised. "What happened? Where are we?"

"Fang ..." I loosened my grip. Didn't he remember? "They got us, Fang. This is my old cell." Everything went silent. My own words had sparked horrifying realization in me.

"Angel! They have my Angel!" I shrieked, throwing myself at the thick metal door. I slammed against it, bruises forming on my arms. I didn't care, I promised I wouldn't let them touch my baby, even if it killed me. Fangs arms quickly found me and yanked me back. He landed on his butt with a thud, me toppling after him. I struggled in my moment of pure hysteria, then cried more. I sobbed and sobbed into his shoulder as he made soothing shushing noises, stroking between my wings. After my shrieking stopped, he separated just enough to talk right at me.

"I heard you crying earlier ... before this. Why?" Genuine worry coated his voice, making me practically melt in his arms.

"I ..." I furrowed my eyebrows, not knowing what to say. My tongue became twisted an my cheeks heated despite the chill of the room. I was in love with Fang. Without a doubt. The thought of him made my heart flutter in my chest. So what do I do now? I took in a breath and ran my fingers through my hair.

"I ... I think I'll tell you later."

* * *

**Ah, I bet you loved that just as much as last chapter's cliffy. My friend says I pulled a Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part II if you know what I mean. When I sent her the draft, she said it hurt. Why don't you tell me how much you just LOVED thinking it was a dream in the reviews? I bet it was great XDDD**

**Stay insane, my friends.**

**-Completely Unstable**

**P.S. There's a link to a drawing of Epic I made on my profile, if you want a visual for next time she pops up.**


	13. Those Damn Pills

After a while of tears and rage, I just sat there, curled in Fang's arms and shuddering. Not only was I back in this cruel place, but my baby was there, too. It was only a matter of time before they start pricking both of us. I winced at the mere thought.

"What happens now?" I whispered, starting to shake more. Fang tightened his grip around me.

"Angela will send someone. Without a doubt." he said quietly. His gentle words almost mad me doze off right there. I sighed dreamily and nuzzled his shoulder. He returned the favor by doing the same with my neck.

"Go ahead and get some sleep." he cooed, kissing my hair. My heart leaped and I complied, letting ever tense muscle in my body relax. Sleep greeted me uneasily, in the arms of what I still considered my savior.

Let's have some fun and start over again. It's day one, now. Just for the sake of it.

**Day 1**

The slamming of the metal door interrupted my sleep. I was still snuggled up to Fang, and I felt his body shift, too, obviously awake now.

I knew what was going on. Automatically, I grabbed to plastic tray and slid it towards us. It had enough (I'm not even sure if it is) food on it for Fang and I to split and be full. Good thing they took my new cellmate into consideration.

"Want some food?" I asked him, putting the tray on my lap.

"Not hungry. You go ahead." he replied. I sighed and began shoving the mushy monstrosity into my mouth, trying to swallow it before the taste could get to me. In a particularly big bite, I felt something small an solid graze my throat as I swallowed it. I coughed trying to get it out, but it was too late.

Those damn scientists drugged me.

"Son of a bitch." I muttered, smacking my forehead.

"What's wrong?" Fang's voice asked me.

"I just swallowed a pill. They put it in the food." I told him. What could that pill possibly have to do? I feel uneasy thinking about it. I could literally feel the anger begin to emanate off of Fang. I reassured him and told him it was fine, that they'd done this to me before. Usually the pills didn't do much of anything. They've only ever been to make me go to sleep. I patiently waited for the drowsy affect to kick in, but it was taking _forever._

I began to hum my own little tune, letting it bounce off of the walls and echo throughout the room. Unconsciously, I began lightly singing a song I had made a long time ago.

**(A/N I wrote this. Screw copyrights.)**

_Built walls no one could break down_

_Tried listening for the sound_

_Of my beating heart, but it was never there_

_So I just didn't care_

_I locked everyone out_

_I didn't let them hear me shout_

_But now ..._

_But now!_

_I let these tears slip free_

_Past the confines_

_Of my emotions!_

_I thought nobody was ever there_

_I just sat there in my chair_

_Watchin' the world speed by_

_As they left me there ..._

I was going to continue, but I remembered someone else was in the room and clamped my mouth shut. It was silent for a second.

"... Why'd you stop?" Fang finally said. I was slightly taken aback by his question. I opened my mouth and continued.

_Hurt, loss, shatters_ _is_

_What's left of me_

_But you strolled by_

_And put back the pieces_

_You made better again_

_And I will never forget_

_What I owe you-!_

_So please,_

_Oh please,_

_Just stay by my side!_

I stretched out the last word, ending while quieting the note slowly.

"Beautiful." Fang commented, his voice loud and clear. I let out a breath I was unaware I was holding and relaxed. I leaned my head against to cold wall to cool my flushed face. When had it gotten so blazing hot in here? In failed attempts, I pressed my entire body against the chilled concrete, trying to calm the fire.

"Do you feel hot in here?" I panted, squirming at the uncontrollable tingling in the pit of my stomach.

"No." Fang answered. I could hear his worry as my breathing began getting heavier, and I hunched over the floor in a loud groan. Fang reached over and rubbed my back, trying to comfort me. I gasped sharply. Where he touch, electrifying feelings pulse through. We heard loud laughing outside of the cell.

"Hold up." he told me. I heard him scuffle towards the door and stay still for a long while. I waited and waited, the tingling in my stomach lowering itself until I was trembling in a ball. More silence.

"Oh no ..." Fang whispered.

"What is it?" I gasped, clenching my abdomen.

"Those pills ..." he said gravely. "They weren't sleeping pills or anything. They were ..."

"Well?" I asked angrily. He sighed.

"They were ecstasy pills. They're trying to get us to reproduce."

**Day 1 (continued)**

Fang attempted to comfort me, but in my state, touching me wasn't a good idea. I could lunge at Fang any second.

"How long *pant* do I *pant* have to *pant* stay like this?!" I asked nobody. Who knows how long those pills that the scientists whipped up could last! I could be like this for days, and it was starting to get very uncomfortable. I moaned again, louder and hanging my head.

"It'll be fine." I heard Fang say. My god I love his voice. It's just so smooth and deep and it made me feel so good when it hit my ears and ... I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!

I jumped at Fang, grabbing the collar of his shirt and yanking his face to mine. Our lips crashed together with brute force, and I pressed against him with all I had.

Man, I need this!

**Fang's POV!**

I was startled by Max's actions. Before I knew is, I was pulled forward quickly and her mouth was on mine, tangling her fingers in my hair. I was hesitant, but I hugged her waist and kissed just as hard as she was. I felt her moan against my mouth and was instantly reminded:

She's only doing this because she's drugged.

To my despair, I pushed her back as gentle as I could and unlatched her fingers from my hair. I wanted to kiss her, I really did. Just not like this. I wanted her to come at me when she was fully conscious of what she was doing. I wanted it to be real.

I heard her whimper echo through the damp air.

"You're not thinking, Max. The drugs are still working, just try and calm down." I said, trying to hide to regret in my voice. I don't think I did a good job. She just whimpered again and I heard her crawl across the room, continuing to moan, groan, and pant. She gave up trying to talk, or at least she lost her ability to. I can only imagine how much torture this must be for her. It was so torturous for me, too.

The person that I'm beginning to fall for just threw herself at me, and I just pushed her away. All because of those damn scientists and their stupid pills!

I'll see to it that we kiss again, with no drugs motivating us.

I'll see to it that we kiss with nothing but our hearts telling us what to do.

* * *

**Could this be classified as FAX? Even though she was drugged? Yeah. Here's some really brief FAX. I can only your reaction. My mind is so messed up. Hence the name. Thanks for the reviews and the 1500+ hits. I really love seeing them. Stay insane, my friends.**

**-Completely Unstable**


	14. Things I Shouldn't Have Said

**Yeah, yeah. I'm terrible. I really have no excuse either. My OCD won't let me stop playing with my new drawing tablet, therefore, I neglected my followers. I AM SO SORRY. But at least I mustered enough ideas to write this! And by the way, you'll love me for this chapter's ending. :DDDD**

**Day 2**

I can't believe I went through that. It was brutal. Next time, I'm checking the damn food before I eat it. I really wouldn't want Fang to get slipped one of those. I sighed happily and stretched, enjoying the freedom of any tension left inside of me.

"You feeling okay?" Fang said slowly and carefully. He was way to cautious after I ... you know ... tried to eat his face. It was the pills!

And maybe a little bit of my feelings for him. Maybe.

"Yeah. Just peachy." I grumbled, shivering against the air. I thought of snuggling back with Fang, but he was probably grossed out from what I did before. This little voice in my head keeps yelling _"He kissed you back!" _but I will not listen to it!

I was arguing with myself in my head when a muscular looped around my shoulders and pulled me in their direction. I froze as I was now leaning on Fang's chest. He was so warm that I couldn't help myself. I curled myself against him and sighed dreamily, latching one hand loosely on his shirt. I couldn't fall asleep, though. That's all I've been doing. Sleeping and waiting for the pricks.

"Fang?" I pointlessly looked up. It was pointless because _I couldn't see anything. _I really am dumb.

"Yeah?"

"What do we do now?"

"I don't know ... talk?"

"Hm. Okay." I said. I was starting to get bored and Fang was the only person I had access to. I wondered how I pulled this off when it was just me. "How did Angela find you?" I asked. The curiosity struck me just now, and it was starting to bother me.

"Same as you, but in a different lab. It wasn't dark, though." he responded single-toned.

"Who saved you?"

"Epic. It was before she met Buffy and went to work on the lookout. She nearly killed half of the people." he gave a faint laugh. I could only imagine the pain she inflicted that day. "Now it's my turn to ask you something." I heard the amusement in his voice.

"What is this? Twenty questions?" I said jokingly.

"It is now." he responded a-matter-of-fact-ly. "How old are you?"

"That was a lame question."

"Well, it's something I don't know."

"Fine." I sighed. "I think I'm 16."

"Think?"

"I don't know!" I threw my hands up in defeat. "I was 16 when I was kidnapped, and I don't exactly know when that was."

"Hm. Okay. Your turn." I thought for a second.

"How old are you?" I asked. I heard Fang snort with laughter.

"You're real original, you know that?" he said. I playfully punched his shoulder. "Alright, alright. I'm 17." he told me. I nodded into his chest, sighing. I just wished reinforcements would get here already.

**Fang's POV**

I let her lay on me. I don't know why. I just did. I ran out of questions to ask and things fell silent. All you could hear was the air, like silence on a tape recorder.

Was she going to sleep again? No, she was still shifting just a fraction. I sighed and buried my nose in her hair. It was much better than inhaling this dank air that enveloped us all around.

"Fang?" her voice spoke my name clearly, her chin tilted towards my direction.

"Mhmm?" I mumbled, not bothering to move my nose from her sweet smelling locks.

"I'm sorry about ..." she paused. "Earlier." In an instant, the air got a hundred times thicker than before, this time, with pure _awkwardness._

What was I supposed to say? If I say it was fine, will I be to obvious? What if I choose not to respond? Will she think I didn't like it?

"I .. uh ... it's fine." I stammered. _Please let that have been the right choice _I thought over and over. Even though she didn't respond for only a second, it felt like hours.

"R-really?" she said quietly. Nervousness shook her voice.

"Yeah." I replied. "You couldn't help it. It was the pills they slipped you." As soon as I said that, it sounded completely the opposite of what I meant. It _did_ sound as if I didn't like it! Please let her not have heard that ...

"Oh." I heard her small yet disappointed voice. I immediately felt terrible.

"I mean ... I ..." I tried to form a sentence, but my words would get tangled whenever I tried to say something. I heard her say something inaudible as her heat left me, her scuttling across the room. I internally smacked myself for such a stupid mistake. Even in the argument going on in my head, I could hear the chattering of her teeth over in a little corner of the small room. Carefully, I crept over to her.

I made a mistake, yeah, but I'm not just gonna give this up.

I sat back next to her, pulling her once again into my chest and wrapping my arms around her. She stiffened a bit, but loosened. This time, it didn't take her that long to relax. I think she was getting used to this.

"Max?"

"Yeah?" Good. She was talking to me.

"Can you ... can you sing again? It was pretty good." I asked, trying not to sound the slightest bit shy of the question. She hesitated a bit.

"I guess ..." she said. She began humming, getting the tune built in her head as she improvised a song.

**(A/N I wrote it. Copyrighting can go to hell.)**

_I was alone_

_In such a cruel world_

_All on my own_

_So I cried and curled_

_In my own little corner_

_And let the world fall apart_

_A-round me_

She stretched out the last note, making a small pause then continuing.

_Then came the savior_

_He stretched his hand out to me_

_My savior!_

_Like an angel, he saved me_

_He taught me how to soar in the sky_

_He taught me to stand on my own_

_He helped me to realize_

_Who I was!_

_And even when I pulled him down with me,_

_He never left my side_

_He offered me his presence, his heat_

_He showed me the brighter side!_

She sounded as if she wanted to continue, but didn't.

"Uh oh." she said with a small giggle. "I ran out of lines."

"It's fine." I said, smiling. Unconsciously, I leaned down and kissed her forehead, lingering there for a bit longer than usual. I felt all of her muscles tense in my arms, but relax after I removed my lips, leaning into me. I could hear here inhale a breath, then sigh abruptly as if she wanted to speak something, but couldn't quite get it out.

"What is it?" I asked her, raising an eyebrow in the pitch black.

"Fang." she said, her voice portraying a different tone. I was saddened when I felt her hands unlatch themselves from me. I was shocked as I felt one slide to my cheek, the other resting on her shoulder. In the darkness, I could hear her shift her body a bit, standing on her knees to reach eye-level with my slouching form.

I held my breath as hers hit my face and inched closer and closer, dangerously close to my lips.

* * *

**I really suck, don't I? CLIFFY!**

**XDDDDD**

**Oh god, YOU KNOW YOU LOVE ME. Even though I'm a typo-creating, usually MIA author. Or what can barely classify as an author. Whatever.**

**ANYWAY.**

**I appreciate the reviews, and I will remind you of one thing. I do not make you review my story for me to post the next chapter. I post them when I write them, so that is both convenient for both of us.**

**Stay insane, my friends.**

**-Completely Unstable**


	15. Do Those Whitecoats Ever Stop?

**You guys probably hate me for last chappy. And that I haven't updated in a while. I have no excuse actually, so sorry. Now you'll hate me even more. You'll see why.**

**Ya know how I left you with a cliffy?**

**Epic POV**

I sat on the purple bedspread of my two-roomed living unit. Buffy's bed being the blue and fuzzy monstrosity across from mine. I pulled the handguns from their cozy spot in my boots, tucking them under my pillows. Yes, I love them that much.

Let me tell you, once people see what I can do with those babies, they don't think of it as weird ever again.

I lowered myself to a lying position on my side, facing the white wall. I sighed, letting my eyes close for the first time all day. Lookout is hard, without a doubt. Especially when those bird kids decide to make a big production when I'm busy. I'm honestly surprised I haven't shot one of them, including that new one. I mean, a fricking _sonic boom? _Buffy was two seconds from shooting to the sky and using that hulking shotgun of hers.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood stiff when I sensed a disturbance in the air. Eyes still closed, I grabbed a handgun from under my pillow and shot straight behind me, twisting my arm at an unusual angle.

"Woah there!" A soprano voice squealed. I flipped around to see my pink haired companion standing only a centimeter or two from the one of many bullet holes in the wall. Her hair was still in a tight ponytail, shotgun casually holstered around her shoulder. In her hand, she held a paper bag with a yellow "M" on the front.

"I teleport to your favorite Russian McDonalds for dinner and this is my repayment?" said Buffy, her voice coated with fake hurt. I rolled my eyes and she waved the bag in front of me. I snatched it away and started digging inside of it. She giggle and sat down on her bed.

"Any word from Ange?" she asked quietly. I sighed and put down the food.

It had been three days since communications were lost with Fang and Max. Angela had sent out agents to interview Ella and Valencia Martinez as soon as the first call wasn't answered, and they told us every detail. Bottom line, those damn whitecoats got them.

"Nothing." I said, shaking my head. "She's sent notice to double agents all across the globes, but each has confirmed that they aren't there. She has a hunch that they're either in an uncharted lab or the exact same one Maximum was held in."

"That's kind of dumb." Buffy commented bluntly.

"Well, these are whitecoats we're talking about." I replied. Buffy took this into consideration and nodded. She sighed and floated an inch or two above her bed in a laying position. Her eyes fluttered closed and her steady breathing signaled me that she was fast asleep. I can only imagine how exhausting teleportation is.

After I finished the contents off the bag, I threw it in a small trash can next to Buffy's desk and changed into my night clothes. I tossed my boots into the corner and laid on my bed, fluctuating the air around me and amplifying the dry static to create an electrical sphere surrounding my bed. These force fields were the only thing that kept good ol' Buffs from jumping on me in the middle of the night.

I couldn't help but think of what Fang and Max might be doing right now.

**Fang POV**

I was nearly shaking with anticipation as Max just kept getting closer. Our lips almost touched in a gentle brush and-

The metal door swung open abruptly, two whitecoats storming in and snatching Max away in the blink of an eye. She struggled furiously as they grabbed her limbs and wings. I tried to reach for her, but one of them gave me a kick to the stomach, successfully immobilizing and knocking the wind out of me. Max shrieked my name one more time before the door slammed shut again, leaving me alone in the darkness. I hunched over, trying to breath properly. I crawled over to the door, pressing my ear to the cold metal.

I could faintly hear Max's protests and cries, and the harsh voices of the whitecoats barking orders at each other. I beat on the door, similar to when Max was trying to get to her little sister. After a decent line of bruises had formed on my arm, I gave up for the time being, sitting as close to the door as I could without risking getting hit with it when it opened. I sat there and waited in utter silence, each minute dragging out long and painful.

I don't exactly know how long it was, but eventually the door swung open again, Max being thrown onto the ground. The loud slam followed, taking every bit of light with it. I could hear muffled crying and shuddering breaths.

"Max?" I said, cautiously reaching for her. Suddenly, her weight was thrown on me, her face buried in my chest as powerful sobs racked her body. I rubbed circled between her wings, trying to calm her down. "What happened?" I asked.

"I-I could s-see everything." she choked out. "T-they d-did some sort of s-surgery on me, Fang! They told me what it was, too ..." she trailed off as if she wanted to say more, but didn't.

"What was it for?" I asked, bracing myself for what these twisted men might have done.

"Fang ... they had your DNA from the lab you were in." she said, her voice steadying just a bit. "They used it somehow ... since we wouldn't breed ..." she wavered off again, although she didn't need to continue to tell me what happened.

_They used my own DNA to impregnate Max._

* * *

**HAH. WHY DID I WRITE THIS.**

**Oh my jeezus, I took this to an extreme. I'm just frigging LOVELY. The lack of reviews did disappoint me, but ah well. I can't make you review, I suppose. But I do really appreciate it. I don't necessarily know where I'm going with this, but man am I going somewhere.**

**Stay insane, my friends.**

**-Completely Unstable**


	16. Just The Three Of Us

**Lol I have no idea what I'm doing anymore xD**

**Buffy POV**

I teleported into the hustling tech room, where Angela was ordering many people to do a wide variety of things.

"Nudge! Front and center!" she called. The mocha-skinned birdkid came bounding up to her with a straight posture and a respectful salute. I still am in awe when I remember that most of us are a few years older than good ol' Ange and we treat her as if she rules over us. She sorta does, too. But not like the dictator way. More like ... the drill sergeant way.

"Ma'am!" Nudge said.

"I need you to hack into a lab mainframe. Lab #2739. I suspect that is where they are keeping Maximum." Angela ordered. Nudged nodded briefly then scurried off to a very expensive computer. I giggled, casually floating a couple inches off the ground.

"Agent Buffy!" I heard my name called out and I instantly straightened and saluted, barking out a quick "Ma'am!" while still afloat. Angela's stern, blue eyes were aimed at me.

"Why aren't you with Agent Epic?" she asked me, arms crossed.

"Well ..." I slacked my posture, regaining my carefree tone and twisting so I was floating somewhat upside-down with my body curled into an arch. Shutup. Floating is awesome. "I wanted to see if you found any more leads. And c'mon, Ange. Epic is only one teleport away." Angela just shook her head.

"Sorry, Buffy. No leads so far. I have Nudge checking lab records now. I have other things to tend to." Before I knew it, Angela was out of there with the faint clicking of her shoes against the clean white floors of the tech room. I glided over to Nudge, whose fingers where ghosting over the computer keys, occasionally typing in a code, all with her eyes closed. I inched closer and closer to her until I was hovering over her head. One perk of floating: People can't hear you approaching.

"Hey, Nugdey!" I yelled in her ear. She jumped with a squeal, her eyes snapping open. She looked at me angrily, but hey! People can't stay made at meeee~!

"Yes?" she asked, puffing out a breath to move a strand of hair out of her face.

"Whatcha got?" I said playfully, twisting so I was in a laying position beside her. She turned her body towards the computer and with a flurry of clicks, a document popped up on the screen.

"I found their report on Max!" she said triumphantly, losing any irritation towards me she had beforehand.

See? What'd I tell ya? Nobody can stay mad at my precious face!

I gestured towards the computer and she caught my drift. She began reading the report aloud, nice and clear.

"_Subject has been captured and detained with the other male specimen. Her development has gone well, and we wish to further test the genetic structures by-_" Nudges face turned into a cherry and her hand shot up to her mouth. Her bambi eyes wide, she stared at the screen in shock.

**(MY GOOOD. 500 MORE WORDS LOST. SON OF A BIIIITCH.)**

"What?" I said impatiently, crossing my arms. Nudge only responded by placing her hands over her face and shaking her head rigorously. I groaned and pushed her slightly out of the way, twisting in the air so my body was upside down. That's right, I can read upside down. You jelly? ANYWAY. I continued where Nudge left off, or at least where I think she left off.

"_Her development has gone well, and we wish to further test the genetic structures by **breeding her with the newly recovered male specimen?!**__" _I may have sort of shrieked the last part and attracted attention from all of the bustling staff in the tech room. I had to focus on floating and not dropping to the ground like a rock, adopting the same expression as Nudge had. Except slightly more mortified with a little bit of a pinker shade to my cheeks, sort of like my hair. Speaking of my hair, this desert dust feels terrible in it. I really need to wash it soon. Lookout is hard if your not used to being out in the terrible desert condito-

Wait. What? Is this what Epic meant about keeping focused? Dangit! _ANYWAY._

We sat there in a heavy silence, staring blankly at the sentence written in fine text on the pixelated screen. My eyes darted towards "newly recovered male specimen". That meant Fang, the guy who went missing with her. I back-tracked to the word "breeding", as if they were addressing two animals. Man, did I know what they intended to do.

"That. Is. Awful." Nudge whispered, her wide eyes glued to the screen.

"Just ... just read the next one." I said breathlessly. Please, let it not be true. _Puh-lease!_

"_Specimen has refused the breeding process-_"

"Damn right, she does!" I interrupted. Nudge just raised an eyebrow at me and continued, taking a few pauses to correctly read the complicatedly worded sentences.

"_Specimen has refused the breeding process and is withstanding the administered drugs. New techniques have been created to utilize the DNA of the male specimen that was so kindly given to our possession by labs associated with ours and the DNA of the female to make a completely efficient fertilization that is surgically operated._" Nudge finished, confusion plastered on her face while disgust and shock was on mine. It was obvious that Nudge couldn't quite grasp what it said. What was she? Twelve? Fourteen at most. While I had at least one half of a high school education and am at the proud age of seventeen.

"What?" Nudge asked? I sighed and lowered my feet to the ground, Nudges face suddenly expressing grave worry. I don't know why, but people associate my not-floating with the fact that I have bad news. Do I not float when I have something bad to say? NEVERMIND. FOCUS DAMMIT.

"They ... they used Fang's DNA to ..." I pinched the bridge of my nose, slowly shaking my head and telling it to her straight. "Max is pregnant, Nudge. Like, without a doubt, pregnant."

I may have said that bluntly without any evidence except the words displayed before us, but I had to give those whitecoats a smidge of credit. Even though they were heartless monsters that didn't care about anything but the advancement of science, they knew what they were doing. And if they cooked up a technique that they knew was guaranteed to work, you could bet your ass it was going to fricking work. With flying colors. Like, a full on rainbow that barfs skittles and has a gay leprechaun and his boyfriend at the end of it. **(A/N That metaphor. Omigawd. What the hell ... did I just type.)**

And with that, I bolted out of there, ripping through the air towards wherever the hell Ange was.

**Max's POV**

I was still curled into Fang's body when my sobs stopped. I'm pretty sure he dozed off at some point, but it didn't matter. He was still here with me and I should be thankful for that.

I kept dwelling on what happened. They were barbaric enough to drug me, but to force a pregnancy on me? We weren't some dogs to be bred for a dog show or something. Did it ever occur to them that we have human emotions along with these bird wings? Yeah. I didn't think so either.

My hand slid under my shirt where they stitched me up. I've heard of other techniques they use to get someone infertile pregnant, and I'm sure as hell glad they didn't use those. I didn't need to be carrying a baby on my hip _and _completely violated along with it.

I sighed and let my eyes close against the darkness. I suppose it'd be like this for awhile until help came. Just the two of us.

A silent tear slid down my cheek as I remembered something. I was wrong. It wasn't going to be like that.

It was just the _three _of us.

* * *

**If that doesn't explain the method to my madness for last chappy, nothing will. And I hoped you liked the insight on Buffy's point of view. She may have some ADD. Probably. And I'm sorta dying in two ways right now. I'm dying in the bad way because I lost all of that work FUCKING AGAIN and I'm dying in the good way because of the leprechaun thing. With laughter. Like seriously, that came out of nowhere. I'm rambling, aren't I? Probs yeah.**

**Anyway, I wanted to ask of you guys to explain how to get beta's on my story. I'm a total noob and I don't know how. So if you're interested, please tell me how and I might consider you.**

**Stay insane, my friends.**

**-Completely Unstable**


	17. Man, Did We Haul A Outta There

**Max's POV**

I felt Fang shift a bit, so I braced myself for whatever reason. I don't know why. I'm just waiting for reality to sink in for now. I mean, no matter how many times I go over it in my head, or let my hand drift over the incision on my abdomen, I still can't believe it.

Holy shit. I am pregnant, and it's Fang's baby.

Nope. Still can't believe it.

"You okay?" Fang's voice gave me a bit of a fright and snapped me back from my thoughts.

"Yeah ... I'm okay." I said, my voice small and weak. I wonder if he's gotten the big deal right now. He sure doesn't seem like it.

Fang must've sensed my worry, because I felt his strong arms pull me into a hug, holding me to his solid chest. I sighed, enjoying his warmth.

"Everything is going to be fine." he spoke into my hair. I swear, his voice still has that charm on me. It could make enemy countries stop fighting a war just so they could listen to it. That's how great it is. Despite this heavenly tone of his, I sure as hell knew otherwise.

"No, Fang. It's not. This can't be undone." I had to hold back the tears pricking my eyes, threatening to spill over my eyelids. "I'm _pregnant._" Wow. Now it sunk in. I guess saying it aloud really does the trick, huh?

I could hear Fang sigh in frustration. Great. Now he's upset because of good ol' killjoy Max.

"I know." Fang spoke, his voice now soft with sympathy and care. "But I'll be here for you." Just as he said that, one of his calloused fingers lightly grasped my chin and pulled my towards his, our lips touching, feather soft. My eyes widened, but then fluttered closed, pressing my mouth against his. His hand left my chin and slid down my arm and to my waist, hugging me close as I reached up to tangle my fingers into his silky hair. I tilted my head as he did, deepening the kiss, urging to get closer to him.

My lungs began to ache, so I reluctantly pulled away, removing my hands from his hair to lay flat on his chest. His arms stayed around me as he once again pulled me to his chest. I exhaled dreamily and listened to the rapid beat of his heart. I don't know if it's the bird genes making it thump that fast or our little kissing session that happened two seconds ago.

"We'll get through this." He whispered, nuzzling my tangled hair. I smiled. _We. _I needed to hear that. I needed to hear that I wasn't going to be going through this alone, after all.

**Day ... I honestly don't care anymore.**

We woke up to the sound of slamming metal. I turned my head in a panic towards the direction of the door. To my confusion, it wasn't opened at all. I unraveled Fang's arms from me, disturbing his sleep.

"Max?" his groggy voice said.

"Sh!" I held up a finger to signal him to shutup. Stupid me. He can't see it. I scuffled over to the door, wincing a bit as I pushed my ear to the cold metal. I heard a flurry of panicked yells and scientists barking commands. A certain scared the bejeezus out of me.

"EAT THIS, MOTHERF**KERS!" a somewhat cheery voice confused me as it shouted what sounded like a happy-go-lucky battle cry.

**(A/N I would actually write the word, but I think I'd be pushing it with the rating.)**

"Third cell to the right! Go, go, go!" another stronger, more stern voice commanded, followed by a flurry of gunshots.

Oh my god. What the hell is going on?

Loud slamming near the door caused my to push myself away from it, back into Fang's arms as he protectively twisted so I was somewhat behind him. A loud, excited screech filled the tiny cell as the door violently swung open, light blurring my vision.

"Hurry up, lovebirds! We got place ta be!" the figure in the doorway yelled happily. I blinked and squinted to see a head of pink hair, shotgun in one hand and another little body casually swung over her shoulder.

"B-Buffy?" I stammered. I only looked at her strangely as she began to grow impatient.

"_Places _to _be!_" she commanded. When I didn't move, Fang shot up, grabbing my arm and any signs of sleepiness automatically disappearing. He darted out of the door, dragging behind him quickly. I saw unconscious scientists everywhere, some with injuries I could've gone without seeing. I looked at the clear windows covering every hallway we ran through. In one room, I saw scientists dropping like rocks as a figure in a pair of ultraviolet boots darted around, gunfire echoing everywhere. Purple eyes met mine, and there I saw Epic in full action.

I swear, those handguns could be automatic, she's firing them so fast.

Whacking another scientist with the butt of one gun, was suddenly running next to us, lightning fast. It is_amazing _seeing these two in action.

"Guide!" Buffy yelled sharply.

"Left, left, straight, right!" Epic barked back. These two definitely knew what they were doing.

"Fang!" Buffy turned her head us.

"Sir!" Fang responded.

"Carry Max! We can't risk exerting her!" Buffy yelled back. Before I could protest, Fang's arms scooped me up while still running. Now, since I was no longer dazed from running, I could see who was slung over Buffy's shoulder. A head of messy blonde curls shook with every bound she took.

It was my Angel. They saved my Angel. I nearly cried with joy. I wanted to reach out and hold her so badly.

Sharp, unfiltered sunlight blinded me as we ran out of an exit, now bounding on bare, sandy ground.

"Can you fly?" Epic turned to me, not looking the slightest bit tired.

"Yes." I raised my eyebrow at her.

"Take your sister. Follow Fang. Get the hell out of here!" she said. Fang put me down quickly and I all but snatched Angel from Buffy's extended arms. I snapped my wings open, only watching briefly as Fang shot into the sky, following Buffy who was carrying Epic.

Man, did we haul ass outta there.

* * *

**It may be badly written, but here. This was the best I could do for the time being. I hope you enjoyed it, I surely didn't. BTW I NEED BETAS TO PREVENT SUCKY CHAPPYS LIKE THIS.**

**Stay insane, my friends.**

**-Completely Unstable**


	18. The Epic Bomb

I flew hard with Angel curled into my arms, still unconscious and Fang trying to keep up next to me. Buffy and Epic were in front of us, forming a sort of V-shape.

That was when the uproar happened.

Before we knew it, you could hear the heaving chopping of helicopters and the engine roars of hummers racing behind us.

"Shit!" Epic growled over the harsh wind. "In front! Now!" she commanded. Fang and I nodded and pulled ahead of the two lookouts, watching as Buffy quickly adjusted her hold on Epic so that she was suspended by one arm, a gleaming handgun in the other.

"Whatever happens, you two keep going!" Buffy yelled as we passed her. I kept anxiously looking back as Epic rapid-fired at the machine gun armed meat heads in the vehicles, both air and ground. After downing two helicopter crews and a hummer, the loud gunshots abruptly stopped.

"Ammo out on one!" Epic barked. "Resort to defensive tactics!"

"Sir!" Buffy saluted with her free arm. "Get ready for a show, lovebirds!" I don't know how I managed to fly while watching this with my head twisted so I was looking backwards, but I did, and I was amazed.

All of the sudden, Buffy teleported, letting Epic fall a few feet before appearing beneath her, grabbing one of her boot-clad feet so she was dangling upside-down. Now having both hands free, Epic grabbed a high-tech looking sphere from her boot.

"Deploying Tesla grenade one!" She threw the sphere with expert aim, having it crash through a hummer windshield. A huge burst of electricity erupted inside the vehicle, a flurry of panicked shrieks following right after as the vehicle drifted off course, crashing into another. Another hummer just took it's place, gun fire beginning to fly past us.

Epic kept throwing more and more strange weaponry at them, eliminating a good portion of them. She slipped a hand into her boot, looking for more.

"Son of a- I'm out! Evasive maneuvers!" She yelled towards her pink-haired companion.

"Sir! Formation Windsw-!" Buffy's response was cut off by her pained shriek. Blood began dripping down her leg as she struggled to keep her altitude. "I'm hit!" she cried, her face contorting in agony. Panic crossed on all of our faces. Epic didn't hesitate to yell out more orders.

"Fang! I'm gonna need a lift! Buffy, teleport back, _now._"

"I can't leave you out here!" Buffy protested, her flying becoming wobbly.

"That was an _order, _Buffs!" Epic said sharply. Before Fang could turn around, I dumped Angel in his arms and flew to Buffy.

"What are you _doing?!_" Fang asked, adjusting Angel in his arms. I didn't answer. Like _hell _I was going to let them do this all by themselves. I've been nothing but a burden to all of these people.

I snatched Epic out of Buffy's arms, carrying her by both wrists. Buffy's face showed an apologetic look as her entire body disappeared into thin air, to safety, hopefully.

"What are we gonna do?" Fang asked, keeping his firm grip on my precious sister. Epic's eyebrows furrowed as her purple eyes darted from the armada of hummers and helicopters inching closer to us to my little sister. Her eyes widened as a mischievous grin spread on her usually stern face.

"Max. Drop me." She said bluntly.

"_What?! _Are you crazy?!" I shrieked, tightening my grip on her wrists.

"_You heard me._" she replied curtly. "I want you to drop me and fly as high up in the sky as possible."

"No! You'll get hurt!"

"Listen up, birdkid!" Epic yelled. "My best friend got _shot _to save your ass! You're going to do what I fucking say, _now._" The seriousness of her order made shivers crawl up my spine, and I nodded with a small gulp. I reluctantly loosened my grip on her, letting my fingers drop her. I only looked at her fall for a millisecond, before shooting straight up, where Fang was already going. I flew so fast, tears streamed out of my eyes. I only imagined Epic crashing into the ground brutally, at the mercy of the sci-

"_TASTE MY FORCEFIELDS, WHITECOATS!_" Epic's battle cry was loud enough to be heard over the howling wind. In a loud boom, similar to the sound of warping metal and the sound of crackling lighting, a huge sphere of electricity exploded, destroying every vehicle and helicopter that touches it in a eruption of flames and smoke. The field stretched higher and wider, the static waves fluxing with every inch of expansion. After the last helicopter was reduced to ashes, the field was sucked back in, disappearing completely. Fang and I hovered a bit, staring in awe.

"Let's go get her." Fang said, smiling crookedly at me.

**BOOP. LINE BREAK MODE ACTIVATED.**

We landed in the middle of the freshly made, smoking crater where Epic was hunched over on her knees, using her elbows to support her panting body. Her now dirt-stained, purple boots stuck out in the charred remains of hummers and helicopters that now speckled the land. At the sound of our feet connecting to the ground, she lazily lifted her head to look up at us, a smile adorning her exhausted face.

"I call that move 'The Epic Bomb'" she panted. Letting out a sigh, she extended a shaky arm towards me. "Now take me home so Buffs know I'm not dead."

* * *

**Well, that's better. More of Epic and Buffy in action. Speaking of those two, I was thinking of making a fanfic about them before they were kidnapped and basically how they got to their position on lookout. Sort of like a character background. If you guys want me to write something like that, I'd be more than happy to. But I probably wouldn't start it until this fic was finished. I know this chappy was a bit short, but it was totally necessary.**

**Stay insane, my friends.**

**-Completely Unstable**


	19. By My Side

**WARNING: THIS FIC CONTAINS A CHEESY PARODY OF REBECCA BLACK'S "FRIDAY". VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.**

As soon as we made it back to base, all four of us were rushed to the infirmary. Both Fang and I supporting the utterly exhausted Epic, we walked in slowly and carefully with the help of many nurses. We were all dead tired, and didn't dare to long of a break when we were flying back. Two nurses appeared, one taking Angel for a diagnosis and another pulling aside a plastic curtain to reveal neatly made cots that were for the majority, empty. Except for one.

"Epic?" a tired voice rasped. A bright pink shock of hair rose up, now free from the confines of its usual ponytail. Buffy say up with a look of discomfort, careful not to jar her injured leg. I saw happiness and tiredness in her cobalt blue eyes, replacing the usual glee and hyper-ness.

"Don't just stand there!" Epic snapped, slapping the back of Fang and I's heads rather hard for such a tired person. "Put me on a bed already, idiots!" We nodded, carefully guiding her to a bed next to Buffy's and plopping down on our own. The nurses began to bustle around Epic, only for her to swat them away.

"Are you okay?" Fang asked me, lolling against the flat pillow to face me with his hands supporting his head.

"Yeah," I said, "Why wouldn't I be?" His only response was his black eyes darting towards my stomach for a single millisecond. My hand instinctually covered it gently, a sudden protective feeling taking over.

"Oh …" I spoke quietly, hanging my head in reminder of the problem that now weighs heavy on my shoulders … or my hips, to be more exact. I didn't answer Fang, mostly because I didn't know what to say. Clicking against hard and polished tile alerted me to the re-closed plastic curtain that separated our little medical ward from the rest of the infirmary. A dainty hand pulled the curtain back, Angela appearing in a seemingly unwrinkled blazer and skirt coming from behind it.

"Ah, Maximum!" she exclaimed with relief, clapping both hands together. "I must have a word with you as soon as possible. I have very important matters to discuss. Come, follow me." She turned around, walking back briskly and I immediately trailed behind her. She led me to her office and shut the door behind me, sitting at her usual position behind her large wooden desk. I slowly sat in front of her, squirming nervously. See? There's that whole school-principal vibe I was talking about!

"Maximum …" she said my name gently, a new emotion shimmering over her usually stern eyes.

Sympathy.

"Yes?" I replied, finally managing to sit still in my chair.

"Well, I had Nudge break into the lab mainframe," she began explaining. "And we found that … well, the whitecoats tried something a bit more out of their boundaries then they usually do."

"Oh. That." My mouth curved downward in a frown. People were determined to keep reminding me. I mean, it's not like it's going to go away, but still, I'd like to not think about it for awhile.

"I understand this isn't a pleasant topic, Maximum." Angela's ageless forehead formed what it could of a worry line as she looked at me. I would really like to know how old she is. Seriously. "But you have a decision to make."

"Decision?"

"Yes. This baby was forced upon you, and technically … you are not obligated to carry it if you wish not to."

"What ….?" I whispered. Was she telling me what I think she was? That I could abort the baby? I didn't know how to respond. My head tilted down, I stared at my shoes in thought.

"I can give you time to think." Angela said, her small hand suddenly covering mine reassuringly. "Get back to me when-"

"I don't need time." I interrupted her. "I know what I want to do."

"You do?"

"Yes." I nodded. I raised my hand to my abdomen and nestled it gently. "You're right. The baby was forced upon me. I was given no choice. But the little guy wasn't given a choice either, was he?" I said, looking at my stomach and smiling. "I think it's best to let it be. Let things work themselves out. I'm keeping it." Angela stared at me, speechless.

"Are … you sure?" she asked me quietly. I nodded, beaming at her. Without another word, I got up and bounded back to the infirmary, and more importantly, to Fang. What I said came from my heart then and there. Sure, I was a bit wary about becoming a mother at … wait. I don't know how old I am. But, still. I was pretty young as far as I knew, but whatever was growing in my tummy at the moment didn't deserve to be brought to this world by cruel scientists just to be taken right out.

**(A/N Just saying, this does not portray mine or anyone else's opinion about abortion. Don't start any political debates in the reviews)**

**LINE BREAK, LINE BREAK. GETTING DOWN WITH LINE BREAKS. EVERYBODY'S LOOKIN' FORWARD TO THE TIME SKIP, TIME SKIP!**

I lay in the fetal position on my crisp white infirmary cot, trying to fall asleep, adapting the steady breaths of my injured companions to a nice lullaby.

Just kidding. It's quite bothersome and Buffy snores, _really _loud.

I felt my eyes drift shut before my entire stomach flipped, and my hand darted for the plastic barf bag that was ever so conveniently placed on my little bedside tray. I emptied out what I had eaten into it, and a nurse immediately rushed to my aid with a glass of water and more barf bags. I took the water gratefully, setting the bags aside for later.

"Are you okay?" I heard Fang's concerned voice on the bed beside me. I wiggled around until I was facing him, seeing his worried face illuminated by the nightlight he so kindly requested for me. It makes me feel lame, but it was very sweet of him.

"I'm fine, just a bit a morning sickness." I reassured him, smiling weekly. Deep inside, I was grimacing due to the fact that I knew the next nine months were only going to get worse.

"But it's nighttime," Buffy's cheery bell came from across the room, sounding as if she was wide awake.

"Yes. It is nighttime." Epic joined in, her groggy voice still coated with a heaping helping of irritation. "Which means _go to fricking sleep._ I'll make an exception for Max's hurling, but that's it."

"Ugh. Fine." I heard the rustling of sheets from Buffy's direction. Fang didn't move, but his eyes shut, signaling he had gone back to sleep. I strained my arm to reach out to him and brush an ebony silk strand of hair away from his peaceful face. I recoiled when his nose twitched a bit, sighing and smiling contently. I let my eyes slide shut, happily sleeping. Why I was happy even though I'm going through a forced pregnancy, have a traumatic fear of darkness, and was promised basically no peace and quiet wherever I go, you ask?

Because the person I cared for the most, beside my sweet Angel, would stay by my side through it all.

* * *

**HEYYYYYYYYYYY. Sorry for the long absence. I've been cramming a lot lately so my grades would be good and I wouldn't get my computer taken away …. again. I HAVE AN EXCUSE. I temporarily abandoned my story so I could actually keep writing it. So I hope you still love me after this. Keep the reviews up!**

**Stay insane, my friends.**

**-Completely Unstable**


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